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Historic  Groton; 


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HISTORIC   GROTON 


COMPRISING 


Historic  and  Descriptive  Sketches 


PERTAINING    TO 


GROTON  Heights,  Center  Groton.  Poquonnoc 
Bridge,  Noank,  Mystic  and 
Old  Mystic,  Conn. 


By  Local  Writers 


FULLY   AND    BEAUTIFULLY    ILLUSTRATED 


Charles  F.  Burgess 

Editor  and  Publisher 

Moosup.  Conn 


COPYRIGHT.   I909 
BY     C      F.     BURGESS 


Groton    Heights,    or    the    Borough    of    Groton 


By  MARY  E.  DENISON 


K(JTuX  heights  or  Borough  is 
beautifully  situated  on  the  river 
Thames,  directl}'  opposite  New 
London,  Connecticut,  with  which 
it  is  connected  by  a  ferry  and  also 
by  a  drawbridge  over  which  go  many  trains 
daily. 

One  crossing  the  river  to  Groton  sees  the 
village  spread  out  before  him  along  the  banks 
of  the  ri\'er  and  upon  the  hills  above.  There 
upon  the  summit,  is  the  tall  shaft  of  the  monu- 
ment which  commemorates  that  memorable 
day,  Sept.  6,  1781,  on  which  the  bra\'e  men  of 
Groton  and  vicinity  fought  for  home  and 
country  in  the  old  fort,  whose  ramparts  lie 
just  at  the  south.  Close  to  the  monument  is 
the  house  used  for  their  meetings,  and  recent- 
ly enlarged  by  the  Anna  ^Varner  Bailey  Chap- 
ter of  the  Daughters  of  the  .\merican  Revolu- 
tion, full  of  interesting  relics.  Xear  by  stands 
the  school  house,  where  the  children  should 
early  learn  love  of  honor  and  of  country  as 
they  liear  about  the  heroic  Leflyard  antl  hi'; 
'^■aliant  followers  who,  caring  more  for  honor 
than  for  life,  pierced  with  man\  a  wound,  fell 
"Dead  on  the  Field  of  Glorv." 

Xorth  of  the  school  house  is  our  beautiful 
library  to  which  the  sclntol  bo\s.  more  often 
than  not  of  foreign  Ijirth.  come  to  see  the 
sword  of  Col.  Ledyard  or  to  get  a  "Storv  of 
the  Revolution."  Here  is  a  fine  collection  of 
about  five  thousand  books  free  to  any  who 
may  care  to  read.  A  little  distance  no'-tli  rf 
the  library  may  be  seen  the  tower  of  the  fine 
new  Congregational  cliurch,  which  ancient  or- 
ganization suffered  so  at  the  time  of  the  nin<;- 
sacre.  Still  farther  to  the  north  is  the  Bap 
tist  church,  the  second  edifice  of  the  society. 


Just  at  the  foot  of  the  hill  on  which  the  Bap- 
tist church  is  set  is  the  old  house  in  which 
lived  the  famous  "Mother  Bailey"  after  whom 
the  local  chapter  of  the  D.  A.  R.  is  named.  A 
few  rods  north  of  the  "Mother  Bailey"  house 
stands  what  is  left  of  the  old  Congregational 
church  built  in  1834,  the  third  building  of  that 
societ}',  to  which  "Mother  Bailey"  would 
never  come,  preferring  to  walk  out  to  the 
old  "black  meeting  house,"  about  a  mile  away, 
where  she  would  listen  to  the  robins  as  they 
sang  and  hear  the  frogs  croak. 

The  pilgrim  upon  reaching  Groton  finds 
himself  in  the  business  part  of  the  village, 
near  the  stores  and  post  office.  lie  probablv 
sees  the  trolley,  for  this  is  the  termiiuis  of  the 
Groton  and  Westerly  line.  Turning  to  the 
south  he  goes  but  a  short  distance  before 
reaching  the  Ebenezer  Avery  house,  now 
marked  by  a  tablet,  to  which  the  wounded 
were  taken  after  the  battle.  At  the  foot  of 
Fort  street  is  the  Episcopal  church.  By  this 
street  one  can  go  directly  into  the  fort  and 
then  visit  the  points  of  interest  which  he  has 
alread}'  seen  from  the  river. 

The  town  of  Groton  of  which  the  borough 
is  a  part  lies  between  the  Thames  and  Mystic 
rivers  and  originally  extended  from  Groton 
Long  Point  to  the  Preston  line,  until  North 
Groton,  now  Ledyard,  separated  in  1836.  mak- 
ing a  large  town  by  itself.  Groton  now  in- 
cludes the  Borough,  Center  Groton,  Poquon- 
nock  Bridge,  Noank  and  Mystic.  The  town  is 
diversified  by  high  hills,  deep  valleys,  and  wide 
plains.  Over  these  once  roamed  the  red  man, 
the  fierce  Pequot,  until  Capt.  Mason  and  his 
followers  on  May  26,  1637  "in  order  to  have 
justice  on  the  Indian,"  took  and  destroyed  the 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


stronghold  of  their  Chief  Sassacus  on  Pequol 
Hiil  and  ended  the  Peqnot  power  in  the  colo- 
ny. This  slaughter  of  the  Pequots,  who  were 
so  hostile  to  the  English,  took  place  before 
there  were  any  settlements  nearer  than  the 
Connecticut  ri\er.  In  1644  the  General  Couit 
of  Massachusetts  ga\e  John  ^\'inthrop,  the 
younger,  a  grant  of  land  in  the  Pequot  coun- 
try and  in  1646  he  founded  New  London,  of 
which  Groton  was  a  part,  being  called  the 
"East  Side." 


posite  the  eastern  spur  of  ^^"inthrop's  Neck, 
where  was  his  home  lot."  With  the  advice 
and  consent  of  Mr.  Winthrop  a  grant  of  land 
lying  north  of  his  was  gi\-en  in  1655  or  '56  to 
Thomas  Bayley,  who  soon  settled  here  and 
became  a  farmer.  Other  early  settlers  in  that 
vicinity  were  the  Starrs.  Colvers,  Lesters  and 
P)Uddingtons.  It  is  not  easy  to  find  who 
had  land  at  that  early  date  in  what  is  now  our 
borough,  but  Capt.  Samuel  Chester,  who  lo- 
cated in  New  London  about  1663,  had  a  grant 


GROTUX,  LOOKING  NOHTH    FROM  THE  MONUMENT 


The  land  on  the  west  of  the  river  was  first 
portioned  out  to  the  settlers  for  their  hnnie 
lots,  then  that  on  the  east  for  farming.  The 
broad  plains  of  Poquonnock  were  early  taken 
for  this  purpose.  W'inthro])  had  a  farm  there, 
and  among  those  who  had  farms  and  settled 
there  as  early  as  1656  were  James  Morgan 
and  James  .\\-ery.  both  men  of  note  in  the 
community.  The  house  of  the  latter,  the 
original  "Hive  of  the  .\\'erys,"  stood  until 
July.  i8i;4.  when  it  was  burned  bv  a  spark 
from  a  locomotive. 

A\'inthrop's  grant  on  Groton  Bank  was  "op- 


of  land  given  him  in  (iroton  where  Fort  Gris- 
wold  and  the  monument  now  stand. 

The  first  house  on  (iroton  liank  was  that 
beU)nging  to  Cary  Latham,  wlui  had  leased 
the  ferry  for  fifty  years  from  March  25,  1655. 
.\t  his  death  in  1^185  he  was  succeeded  by  his 
son-in-law,  John  Williams,  of  whom  Joshua 
Hempstead's  diary  says:  "He  kept  the  ferry 
when  Groton  and  New  London  were  one 
town,  had  but  one  minister  and  one  cap- 
tain's company."  The  ferryboat  then  was  a 
scow  with  both  sails  and  oars. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


THE  (iROTON  MONUMENT 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


Grants  of  land  had  early  been  taken  in  Po- 
quonnock  and  Mystic  and  in  order  to  connect 
the  scattered  farms  on  the  east  side  with  Xew 
London  a  highway  following  the  old  Indian 
trail  from  Groton  Bank  to  Mystic  River  was 
laid  out  in  1652,  but  beyond  Fort  Hill,  it  was 
a  mere  pentway  until  1709.  When  King  Phil- 
ip's war  broke  out  in  1675  the  men  of  Groton 
\'olunteered  to  fight  against  the  foe.  They 
with  a  remnant  of  the  Pequots.  were  led  by 
Capt.  James  Avery. 

The  settlers  upon  the  east  side  crossed  the 


travelled  to  Hartford  to  the  General  Coiirt  to 
bring  this  about.  In  1702  permission  was 
given  them  to  build  a  meeting  house  thirty- 
hve  feet  square,  to  organize  a  church  and  to 
h.ire  a  minister  at  the  joint  expense  of  the  east 
and  west  sides  of  the  town.  In  1703  the  house 
was  built  at  Center  Groton,  the  most  central 
location.  Rev.  Ephraim  \\'oodbridge  was  the 
first  pastor.  Two  years  later  the  East  Side 
became  a  separate  township  and  was  called 
Groton,  in  honor  of  Gov.  Winthrop's  home  in 
Enarland. 


THE  EBEXEZER  AVERV  HOISE 
Where  wounded  Americans  were  left  at  the  Battle  of  Groton  Heights 


river  to  attend  church  and  were  taxed  for  its 
support.  Many  of  them  had  long  distances  to 
go  and  in  1687  it  was  ordered  that  for  the  fu- 
ture they  might  invite  the  minister  of  the 
town  to  preach  on  their  side  of  the  river  every 
third  Sunday  during  the  four  most  disagreea- 
ble months  of  the  year.  About  the  year  1700 
the  people  began  to  ask  first  for  a  church  or- 
ganization of  their  own  and  then  for  a  separate 
township.  Capt.  James  Avery,  who  was  a 
loyal  supporter  of  the  church  in  New  London, 


In  the  division  of  Groton,  children  were  to 
have  the  privilege  of  the  schools  on  the 
west  side ;  the  public  ministerial  lands 
were  to  be  in  common,  while  New  Lon- 
don was  to  be  allowed  to  cut  masts 
for  ships  from  the  Pine  Swamp  of  Groton.  The 
story  of  our  first  town  clerk,  John  Da^•ie,  reads 
like  a  romance.  He,  like  his  neighbors,  was  a 
farmer,  but  a  well  educated  man,  a  graduate 
of  Harvard,  and  of  a  good  old  family.  One 
day  in  1707  while  hoeing  in  his  field  a  messen- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


came  to  Groton  Bank  and  obtained  a  grant  of 
land  upon  the  river.  Here  he  built  two  large 
ships,  one  of  these  being  as  large  for  her  day 
as  the  big  steamers  lately  built  here.  It  was 
the  largest  ship  that  had  then  been  constructed 


ger   appeared    who   saluted    him    as   "Sir   John 

Davie."      Upon   his   departure   for   England   to 

enter    into   possession   of  his    vast   estates,   he 

left    uKiney    for   a    handsome    communion    cup 

for  Air.   W'oodbridge's  church.  The  cup  bears 

this  inscription:  "The  gift  of  Sir  John  Davie      this  side  the  Atlantic.  This  great  ship  of  seven 

to  the  Church  of  Christ  at  (jroton."  hundred  tons  was  launched  Oct.   I2,   1725.     A 

One  of  the  early  deacons  of  the  church  was      crowd  of  people  came  to  the  launching.     The 

John  Seabury,  whose  grandson,  born  in  North      other  ship  of  five  hundred  and   seventy   tons 

Groton,    was   that   Samuel   Seabury    who   was 

the    first    bishop    of    Connecticut    and    of    the 

Episcopal  church  in  the  United  State.--.  When 

\\  hitetield  came  tn  New   England,  Rev.  Jona- 
than   Liarbcr,    who    was    then    pastor    of    the 

church,  Ijeing  his  tlevoted   friend,  invited  him 

to  \'isit  Center  (iroton.     He  came  first  in  Feb., 

1763,  and  preached   in   the  old   meeting  house 

and  again  in  June  of  that  year  he  preached  to 

a  multitutle  in  front  of  Mr.  Barber's  house. 
In    about    I7')5    a    new    meeting    house    was 

built  on   Grotiin    Hank  on   the  old  highway   a  ""    - 

mile  from  the  ferry.     This  house  is  sometimes        -':^J/' 

spoken  of  as   the  old  "black   meeting  house," 

from   the   fact   that   it   was   never  painted  and  lkcitun  i  kki;\ 

then    again    as    the    "Knme    meeting    house,"       ,,.3,  ^jjH^.i  4,,^  ^Jon  Carlos  and  sailed  for  Lis- 

from  the  Rev.  .\aron  Kinne,  the  ])astor  at  the       \)o\\ 

tmie  it  was  built,  and  during  the  Revolution.  Jeffrey  was  the  builder  of  smaller  ships  as 

well;  Oct.  26,  1738,  John  Ledyard,  the  father 
of  John  Ledyard  "the  tra\'eler,"  sailed  for 
England  in  a  new  Snow  built  by  Capt.  Jeft'rey. 
John  Led\-ard,  called  "the  traveler,"  was  one 
of  Groton's  noted  men.  He  sailed  with  Capt. 
Cook  on  his  second  voyage  around  the  world, 
of  which  he  pulilished  an  account.  Later  he 
penetrated  into  the  heart  of  Russia.  Lie  next 
became  one  of  a  party  to  explore  the  Xile,  but 
was  taken  sick  and  died  at  Cairo  in  1788,  aged 
thirty-seven. 

The  inhabitants,  who  were  at  first  farmers, 
were  now  to  a  great  extent  a  seafaring  people, 
carrying  on  trade  along  the  coast  and  with  the 
West  Indies  and  European  ports  until  the 
Revolution  put  an  end  to  all  such  traffic. 
Some  of  Groton's  adventurous  ones,  as  well  as 
the  men  of  New  London,  fitted  out  privateers 
and  sent  them  out  to  damage  the  British  ships 
which  were  'harrying  our  coasts.  They  re- 
turned often  with  great  prizes.  Eight  hun- 
dred and  three  recorded  prizes  were  brought 


TKOLLEV   TKRJIIM'S 

Slii])l_niilding  was  one  of  the  town's  earliest 
industries.  Thomas  Starr  of  Groton  Bank,  a 
shipwright,  in  1710  sold  a  sloop  called  the  "Sea 
Flower"  which  he  describes  as  "a  square- 
sterned  vessel  of  sixty-seven  tons  and  si.x- 
sevenths  of  a  ton,  Iniilt  by  me  in  Groton." 
Our  village  became  famous  fur  the  building 
of  immense  ships  way  back  in  1725.  About 
that  time  a  ship  builder,   Capt.  John  Jeffrey, 


HISTORIC  GKOTOX 


Z.     Z 


HISTORIC  GKOTON 


into  this  harbor  duriny;  the  war.  It  is  little 
wonder  that  the  British  were  anxious  to  get 
possession  of  this  stronghold  of  rebels. 

Groton  was  settled  by  men  and  women  who 
took  an  interest  in  education,  believed  in  civil 
and  religious  freedom,  and  those  who  succeed- 
ed them  were  filled  with  the  same  spirit.  They 
were  justly  indignant  at  e\'ery  measure 
adopted  b}-  Cireat  Britain  to  curtail  indepen- 
dence of  thought  and  action  among  the  colo- 
nies. This  town,  like  many  another,  declared 
war  for  itself  against  George  III  of  England. 
.■\.  bold  and  ])atriotic  spirit  animated  their  town 
meetings.  Foremost  in  their  ])lans  was  Silas 
Deane  of  North  Groton,  until  the  Colonial 
Legislature  sent  him  to  the  Continental  Con- 
gress, by  which  he  was  later  ap])ointed  am- 
bassador to  h'rance.  Other  leading  men  were 
the  Averys.  the  .Starrs,  the  C'hesters,  the  Led- 
yards — William.  Ebenezer  and  ^Hungs — and 
Thos.  Alumford,  who  was  one  of  the  most  effi- 
cient of  the  ".S(Tns  of  Liberty." 

Afr.  Mumfnrd.  with  eleven  other  men  of 
Connecticut  in  .\pril,  1775,  formed  the  project 


in  other  places,  a  man  whom  (iow  Trumbull 
trusted.  In  1775  Mr.  Mumford  was  one  of  a 
committee  of  the  General  Assembly  to  exam- 
ine the  points  of  defence  and  report  on  the  best 


THK  (.HKSTEK  HUl  SE 
This  house,  the  oldest  dwelling  in  Groton,  was  l>uilt  in  1V^2 
1\\'  Tlioinas  C'liester.  P^roiii  it  on  Sept.  (ith.  i;si.  four  of  his 
sons  niai'clieti  to  tiie  delenee  of  Foi-t  Griswuld  and  two  of  tliein 
wei'e  niortaliy  wounded  tliat  day.  The  iioiise  was  in  the 
Cliester  family  over  a  fentur.\'.  In  the  war  t)f  IHTi  a  eompaiiy 
of  sokliers  were  quai'tered  there  who  were  on  iialrol  duty  on 
the  foast.  A  British  siiip  fired  a  bhot  one  tiay  whioli  hit  the 
(■hiiune.v,  mailing  a  large  hole  and  upsetting  a  pan  of  haiu 
wliieh  was  frying  over  the  coals  in  the  large  lireiilace,  thus, 
to  the  dismay  of  Madam,  making  a  big  gi'ease  spot  on  her 
spotless  white  Hour.  Tlie  house  is  ill  a  good  state  of  preserva- 
tion and  the  e.Kteriui-  reuiaiiis  the  same  as  a  century  ago. 
Ihe  farm  is  now  owneil  liy  L'apt.  John  o.  Splcer  of  Eastern 
I'oiut 


col 


KBKNKZKR  .\AKRV  HOUSE 


Tliis  house  was  built  about  172(5  by  Col.  I'^benezer  Aver.\' 
who  was  born  March  2:1.  ITOt,  and  died  in  May,  1780.  He  re- 
ceived a  commission  as  Lieut,  of  1st  Co.  Sth  Regiment  of  Colo- 
ny of  Connecticut,  .Ma.\'.  1728.  b.v  order  of  King  (ieorge  11.  He 
was  made  Caiitain  in  17:^:?,  Colonel  in  17.'i9,  and  remained  in  of- 
fice under  (.Veorge  11  and  George  III  until  the  colonies  declared 
their  independence.  .Vfter  that  he  held  his  place  as  Colonel 
under  the  Flag  of  the  Free.  Col.  .Vver.v's  son  Ebenezer  lived  at 
the  homestead.  On  Sept.  ti,  1781,  when  the  alarm  was  given  of 
the  landing  of  the  British,  lie  left  his  plow  in  the  furrow  and 
hastened  to  the  defence  of  tlie  fort  where  he  met  his  death 


of  taking  Ticonderoga,  which  plan  was  suc- 
cessfully carried  out.  He  was  the  first  select- 
man during  the  early  years  of  the  war  and  was 
the  financial  manager  of  the  affairs  of  Groton. 
He  was  in  communication  with  fellow  patriots 


means  of  securing  the  country  from  invasion. 
Groton  Heights  was  one  of  the  places  selected 
ftir  a  fortification.  The  Groton  patriots,  ac- 
cording to  Miss  Caulkins,  "With  a  spirit  of  en- 
thusiasm that  did  not  wait  for  Iegislati\'e  aid, 
\-oluntarily  threw  up  intrenchments,  excavated 
ditches,  and  erected  breastworks  and  though 
Uiey  had  no  ordnance,  except  a  few  pieces  at 
the  battery  at  the  Heights,  resolved  to  defend 
the  position  to  the  last  extremity."  Later  the 
fort  was  finished  and  given  the  name  of  the 
Lieutenant  Governor.  Ledyard  was  the  first 
actual  commander,  being  appointed  July,  1776. 
He  later  had  charge  of  the  forts  on  both  sides 
of  the  river  and  at  Stonington. 

A  large  number  of  men  from  Groton  en- 
listed in  the  Continental  army,  the  town  car- 
ing for  their  families,  Many  of  them  were 
under  Putnam  at  the  battle  of  Bunker  Hill. 
l'"ew  were  left  at  home  to  gather  in  the  har- 
\  ests  and  defend  the  town  which  seemed  of- 
ten in  danger  of  an  immediate  attack,  as  many 
times  British  men-of-war  were  seen  in  the  of- 
fing.   At  last  on  Sept.  6,  1781,  came  the  dread- 


10 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


til  attack  and  a  small  garrison,  aided  by  a  few 
volunteers,  were  all  who  were  left  to  meet  the 
enemy. 

Bravely  they  fought  and  well,  until,  being 
obliged  to  surrender  because  of  the  over- 
whelming number  of  the  enemy,  the  hero  Led- 
yard  was  killed  in  the  act  of  surrendering  his 
sword,  and  such  a  massacre  (followed  that 
even  the  British  officers  could  not  endure  the 


(JHOTON    HEIIiH'rS  (iliAMMAK  S('HOIIL 

sight,  one  of  them  calling  out  to  his  men, 
■"Stop,  stop,  in  the  name  of  heaven !  My  soul 
cannot  bear  it."  Many  of  those  in  the  fight 
that  day  were  very  young  men,  several  merely 
boys.  Little  Wm.  Latham,  called  the  "Powder 
Monkey,"  because  he  brought  ammunition 
from  the  magazine  to  the  soldiers,  escaped  in- 
jury and,  being  but  twelve  years  old.  was  al- 
lowed to  go  free.  Daniel  Williams  of  Saybrook, 
a  boy  of  fifteen,  who  was  substituting  for  a 
neighbor  belonging  to  the  garrison,  was 
killed,  as  was  also  Thomas  .\very,  aged  seven- 
teen years,  son  of  Park  Avery,  fighting  bravely 
by  his  father's  side. 

Belton  Allyn  died  for  his  country  at  seven- 
teen and  Thomas  Starr  at  nineteen.  Others 
might  be  mentioned  as  young,  or  but  a  little 
older.  Sixteen  of  the  defenders  of  the  fort 
bore  the  name  of  .\very.  Nine  of  them  were 
killed,  three  were  wounded  and  four  taken 
prisoners.  Fourteen  of  the  brave  men  who 
died  that  day  and  three  of  the  wounded  were 
captains,  having  either  belonged  to  the  Conti- 
nental army  or  militia,  or  were  captains  of 
ships.  In  a  letter  written  after  the  battle  by 
Thomas  Mumford  to  Gov.  Trumbull,  he  says: 


"We  have  Lost  the  flower  of  this  Town,  both 
ir.  oiiticers  and  respectable  inhabitants.  My 
house  with  the  Chief  of  the  others  on  the 
Bank  are  Burnt  and  many  families  Left  desti- 
tute of  food  and  Raiment." 

The  village  at  this  time  had  but  one  street, 
along  by  the  ri\er,  and  when  fourteen  dwell- 
ing houses,  four  barns,  two  shops,  two  stores 
and  one  school  house  were  burned,  but  few 
buildings  would  be  left.  The  house  of  Ebene- 
zer  Avery,  to  which  the  wounded  were  taken 
after  being  cruelly  jolted  down  the  hill,  was 
set  on  fire,  but  the  flames  were  extinguished 
in  time  to  sa\-e  it  and  the  sufferers  within. 
There  were  more  than  forty  women  of  the 
Congregational  church  in  Groton  who  that  day 
were  made  widows,  and  no  man  was  left  at  the 
ne.xt  c(3mniunion  to  pass  the  bread  and  wine. 

.Notwithstanding  all  that  the  town  had  suf- 
fered, at  the  town  meeting  in  November  fol- 
lowing the  battle  it  was  voted  to  provide 
clothing  for  soldiers  still  in  the  field,  and  the 
ne.xt  spring  they  voted  again  to  send  out  more 
men,  1)ut  the  war  soon  closed  making  further 


(iKoTON    HOUOl  <;H   hi :iLI(lN(i,  TH.\MES  STREET 

sacrifice  unnecessary.  Business  of  any  kind 
was  now  at  a  low  ebb,  schools  were  poor,  the 
church  fell  into  a  decadent  state;  some  of  its 
members  not  willing  to  be  taxed  to  support 
religion,  became  Separatists,  and  held  meet- 
ings in  the  historic  Avery  house.  The  Con- 
gregational church  for  thirteen  years  was 
without  a  settled  pastor,  when  in  1811  Mr. 
Timothy  Tuttle  was  installed  over  the  two 
churches  of  Groton  and  North  Groton. 


HISTORIC    GKOTON 


i-! 


'A 
(5 


C3  eC  r-   0) 


12  HISTORIC  GROrON 

In  1812  followed  a  second  war  with  Great  Railej^  who  promptly  dropped  her  flannel  pet- 
Britain  because  of  the  impressing  of  seamen.  ticoat  and  gave  it  to  him  with  the  wish  that 
This  town  being  the  home  of  so  many  seafar-  "the  aim  might  be  sure  and  the  execution  thor- 
ing  men  suffered  in  consequence.     Again  tho  ough  on  the  English."  For  this  and  other  pa- 


P().ST   UKKICE 

lrarl)or    was    l)]ocke(l    ])y    llritish    men-of-war  triotic     deeds     '"jMother     Baile_v"     was     much 

and  our  own  shipping  went  up  the  river.  Fort  lauded.   Presidents  and   statesmen   visited   her 

Griswold  was  again   manned.      Rumors  of  an  to  do  her  honor. 
attack  filled  the  air  when  one  day  Maj.  Smith,  From  time  to  time  after  the  wars  with  (ireat 


1111;  iiLli   Ndirni  LANK  .SCIKIOLHOLSE 


who  commanded  the  furt,  found  he  lacked 
flannel  for  wadding  for  the  guns,  so  sent  out 
lor  some.  The  stores  and  dwellings  were  for 
the  most  part  closed,  as  the  women  and  chil- 
dren had  fled  to  places  of  safety,  so  none  could 
be  found  until  tlie  messenger  met  Mrs.  .\nna 


llritain  had  ceased  scrs'ices  were  held,  as  in 
these  da_\'s,  on  Sept.  6,  in  memor}'  of  the  Bat- 
tle of  (iroton  Heights.  .A  noteworthy  meeting 
was  held  in  il~<J5,  when  eigliteen  survivors  of 
the  massacre,  disfigured  with  scars  of  battle 
and  one  wearing  a  vest  perforated  with  bullet 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


•3 


l:l>l  |i|'.\(  I-,  I  II      Ml:>     \\ll,l.l\\l    II      \l  I  \  I.K.    I  II  AMES  STItKKT 


KESIDEM'E  (IK   Ml{.  THOMAS  MINEK.  ,M<lM  .MENT  STREET 


14 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


< 

■A 


holes,  took  part  in  the  celeljration.  At  this 
meeting  it  was  resolved  that  a  monument  be 
erected  in  honor  of  the  brave  men  who  fell 
in  Fort  (^riswold.  In  1826,  with  proper  cere- 
monv.  the  cornerstone  was  laid,  and  in  1830 
the  monument  was  finished.  The  funds  for 
building  were  raised  by  a  lottery  which  was 
granted  by  the  legislature. 

Groton  Monument  Association,  which  is 
still  in  existence,  had  charge  of  the  building. 
To  this  organization  money  was  given  by 
Congress  in  1881  to  carry  up  the  shaft  to  a 
svmmetrical  height.-  repair  the  column  and 
beautifv  the  grounds.  On  the  centennial  of 
the  battle,  Sept.  6,  1881,  a  great  celebration 
was  held  which  lasted  two  days,  to  which 
thousands  of  people  came.  .\  large  fleet  of 
warships  was  in  the  harbor;  all  the  military  of 
the  state  were  here  with  the  governor  and  his 
staf?,  also  Gen.  Sherman  and  his  staff  of  the 
United  States  army.  A  sham  fight  tuok  place 
in  imitation  of  the  original  battle.  Orations 
were  delivered  by  Gen.  Hawley  and  Hon. 
Edward  Everett  Hale  :  remarks  were  made  by 
other  famous  men.  and  original  poems  were 
read,  all  making  a  very  notable  occasion. 

.\t  the  time  of  the  Civil  war,  Groton  again 
responded  nobly,  sending  many  men  to  the 
front  and  spending  about  $80,000  for  bounties, 
premiums  and  support  of  families,  which  was 
more  than  any  other  town  in  the  county  with 
the  exception  of  Norwich. 

In  1862  our  government  felt  the  need  of 
greater  facilities  for  the  building,  repair  and 
dockage  of  its  vessels.  A  board  of  officers  was 
sent  to  examine  New  London  harbor.  After 
examinatiun  they  reported.  "The  harbor  of 
New  London  possesses  greater  advantages  for 
a  navv  yard  than  any  other  location  examined 
by  this  board." 

In  1864  a  naval  committee  of  the  house  also 
visited  tlie  site  and  reported  in  its  favor.  No 
immediate  action,  however,  was  taken.  In 
the  vear  1867  Air.  John  R.  Bolles  gave  to  the 
state  a  tract  of  land  lying  on  the  rover  to 
be  given  by  the  state  to  the  government  "for 
na\-al  purposes."  In  1868  the  gift  was  made 
and  accepted  by  the  government.  After  a 
time  a  wharf  was  built.    Storehouses,  quarters 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


•5 


DWKLLINCJS  IIF  MRS.  ANNIE  C     MAVLKS.  MOXIMENT  SIKEET 


THE  BILL  MEMORIAL  LIBRARY 


i6 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


17 


\  I  ' 


RESIDENCE  OF  MK.  WILLIS  L    fHRLSTIE,  BROAD  STREET 


IJESIDKM'K  (IK   Ml!     I!V1!(IN   M.  (riSKIKN.  THAMES  .STREET 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


for  officers  and  other  liuihlinys  were  erected, 
among  them  a  drill  ronm  une  hundred  and 
cight_\'-t\vo  by  forty  feet,  tn  be  used  in  connec- 
tion with  a  training  schnol  fur  marines  which 
our  government  then  planned  to  establish 
here.  Nothing  more,  however,  came  of  it,  the 
yard  being  used  merely  as  a  c<ialing  station. 

During  the  time  that  the  whaling  interest 
was  at  its  heiglit,  many  men  from  Groton 
went  to  the  polar  regions.  In  1855  (luring  one 
of  Ills  voyages  Cajit.  Jas.  M.  Buddington  res- 
cued the  "Resolute,"  sent  by  the  English  gnv- 
ernment  in  scarcli  nf  Sir  bihn  I'ranklin,  and 
brought  her  in  tn  mir  harbdr.  The  United 
States  rewarded  the  rescuers  and.  Inning  ])ut 
the  "Resolute"  in  good  cnndilinn.  restored  her 
to  the   I'.ritish  goxernmcnt. 

Ca]it.  .S.  .\.  Iluddingtiin  was  (ine  of  the  "  I'o- 
laris"  e.\])edition  under  Capt.  I".  .\.  Hall.  The 
best  whaling  \'oyage  e\er  made  was  by  Capt. 
Ebenezer  Morgan  in  the  first  steam  whaler 
the  "Pioneer." 

Sailing  for  Il.ydsou"s  Ra}"  June  4,  18(14,  she 
returned  Sept."  18,  1865,  with  1.31M  barrels  of 
whale  oil  and  22,650  pnunds  nf  whalebone,  a 
cargo  worth  $150,000.  Later  Capt.  Morgan, 
as  soon  as  .Vlaska  was  ceded  to  the  I'nited 
States,  in  behalf  of  the  .\laska  Commercial  Co. 
of  New  London,  made  the  first  landing  on  St. 
PauLs  Island,  the  sealing  ground,  and  raised 
the  first  .\nierican  flag. 

Our  beautiful  summer  resort.  Eastern 
f-'oint,  owes  its  existence  to  Mr.  .\lbert  L.  .\v- 
ery,  wdio  owned  the  land  and  conceived  the 
idea  of  making  it  a  summer  watering  place. 
.Streets  were  opened  under  Mr.  .Xverv's  su- 
pervision and  mainly  at  his  e.\])ense  and  cot- 
tages began  to  be  built  by  wealthy  gentlemen 
from  various  places,  until  now  a  fine  summer 
resort  is  the  result,  with  many  beautiful  cot- 
tages and  a  fine  hotel.  "The  Criswold." 

In  1900  the  Eastern  Shipbuilding  Co.  lo- 
cated in  Groton  and  began  the  building  of  the 
mammoth  steamships  "Minnesota"  and  "Da- 
kota." These  were  l)uilt  and  in  due  time 
latmched,  great  crowds  coming  t(T  the  launch- 
ing. The  "Minnesota"  first  and  then  ihe  "l)a- 
kota"  sailed  away  for  serxice  on  the  I^acific 
ocean.  Then  happened  wdiat  had  been   proph- 


esied, the  Eastern  Shipljuilding  Co.  took  its 
departure,  leaving  but  the  buildings  of  the 
idant  and  the  empty  tenement  houses  which 
had  been  built  by  our  speculators.  Since  the 
shipbuilding  company  left  us,  very  little  busi- 
ness has  been  carried  on  in  (iroton.  Mowex'er, 
manv  of  Groton's  professional  and  business 
men  ha\ing  offices  and  places  of  Ijusiness  in 
.New  London  find  Groton  a  good  place  in 
\>  hich  to  live. 

In  Dec,  1900,  a  petition  was  sent  to  the 
( leneral  Assembly  of  the  state  of  Connecticut 
to  create  Groton  Heights  a  borough,  and  a 
charter  at  the  same  time  was  asked  by  other 
|iarties  for  a  Irolkw  between  (iriiton  and  W'est- 
erly. 

In  ii;03  the  borough  was  incorporated  and 
about  that  time  the  trolle_\'  was  put  through. 
The  borough  now  owns  its  own  water  su])- 
ply  and  lighting  facilities,  the  Groton  Electric 
Light  and  Water  Company  ha\  ing  sold  its 
jilants  to  the  borough. 

Mr.  I'Tederic  Bill  has  conferred  a  great  gift 
upon  Groton  in  establishing,  building  and 
maintaining  a  free  public  library,  the  "llill 
.Memorial  Library."  The  beautiful  building 
stands  on  a  rise  of  ground  under  the  shadow 
of  the  monument.  The  original  building, 
wliich  was  dedicated  in  1890,  has  lately  been 
much  enlarged.  The  book  room  was  extended 
some  eighteen  or  tw-enty  feet  and  a  large  room 
intended  for  a  museum  was  built  at  the  north. 
In  this  room  is  now  installed  a  large  and  rare 
collection  of  butterflies,  another  gift  from  Mr. 
ISill.  who  is  much  interestedin  all  nature  stud- 
ies, also  a  fine  collection  of  birds,  the  gift  of 
his  brother.  Mr.  Gnrdon  Bill  of  Springfield. 
Mass.  Beautiful  jiaintings  loaned  liy  Mr.  Bill 
hang  upon  the  walls.  The  building  is  lieauti- 
fully  furnished  and  well  lighted.  The  care- 
full_\-  chosen  books  are  by  standard  authors, 
new  ones  being  added  from  time  to  time.  Gro- 
ton people  cannot  too  highly  estimate  the 
\alue  to  them  of  such  a  library. 

The  .\nna  Warner  llailey  Chapter,  D.  A.  R.. 
l'a\e  (lone  much  for  the  improvement  of  the 
\  illage  in  the  \icinity  of  the  fort  and  monu- 
ment. They  have  added  a  fine  annex  to  the 
eld  monument  house. 


niSTOJilC    GROTON 


19 


SB 


HISTORIC   GKOTON 


UllKiE  llnlSE,  1;KS11)EN('K  (IF   MK.  MciKTON    1'     ri.ANI 


^  f 


-    ^-yf^-:Mk.     *^ 


(  "IT 


m  I'tffliiiiVi '■''■' Vir'!'''^AV.I.!,'  """  »"»i8  «S8S3  ssaiit 


^'.^; 


liKSIDKXrE  OF  MR.  MORTON  F.  PLANT.  KASTKUN  IMJINT 
Foruial  <;;irden  in  the  ForcjiTumul 


HJSTORIC  GROTON 


Air.  .ATni-ton  F.  Plant,  wlin  dwiis  a  fine  es- 
tate here,  e\'er  since  he  came  In  (iroton  has 
taken  great  interest  in  the  place  and  done 
much  for  it.  He  has  aided  the  D.  A.  R.  in 
tiicir  schemes  for  imprn\-inL;-  the   village.      He 


hnilding'  of  colonial  architecture,  made  of  red 
lirick  with  stone  trimmings,  having  offices  in 
it  for  town  clerk,  judge  of  probate  and  the 
lioard  of  selectmen,  and  an  auditorium  for 
large  gatherings. 


llol'Kl.  (;l!l^^\V^l,l).   K.\STKUN    I'OINI'.     KHKCTED  I'.UIII-I'.KIT 

has  done  much  fnr  i  mr  highways,  lately  gix'ing  On    the   day   of   the   dedication   a    handsome 

$10,000  toward  ilieir  imprnxcment.     His  great-  loving  cup  was  presented  to  ]\[r.  Plant  by  the 

est  gift   to   the   town   is   that   nf  the   fine   new  townspeople  as  a  token  of  their  appreciation 

town     hall     at     Poquonnock     I'.ridge,     erccte(i  of  his  gift  and  their  esteem  and  regard  for  the 

there  l)ccansc  that  was  the  most  central  loca-  d(-)nor. 
tion.       It    is    a     han(ls(imc    and     commodious 


HISTORIC   GROTOX 


A  Brief  Sketch  of  the  First  Congregational  Church  of  Groton 


By  M.  ADELAIDE  RANDALL 


T  is  fitting  that  a  liistory  of  the 
tiiwn  ijf  Groton  should  inckide  a 
sketch  of  its  h^irst  Congregational 
Church,  since  that  church  had  be- 
gun its  work  before  Ciroton  became 
legally  distinct  from  New  London,  and  for  more 
than  two  hundred  year^;  has  enriched  the  life 
of  the  community.  \  church  so  ancient  must 
ha\-e  much  in  common  with  the  history  of  the 
town  which  has  grown  up  around  it  and  a 
complete  account  of  its  pastors,  its  branches 
of  work  and  forms  of  activity,  its  various 
houses  of  worship,  and  its  members  would  in- 
clude a  large  part  of  the  town  history.  Such 
an  account  would  be  very  attractive,  but  in 
this  short  article  much  of  interest  must  neces- 
sarily be  omitted,  and  we  must  confine  our- 
selves to  a  description  of  the  formation  and 
early  history  of  that  cliurch,  and  its  three 
earliest  meeting  houses,  and  attempt  to  give 
only  partial  accounts  of  the  lives  of  its  pas- 
tors up  to  the  year  1880. 

In  1687,  while  Groton  was  still  a  part  of 
New  London,  it  was  voted  in  town  meeting 
that  the  people  on  the  east  side  should  have, 
"liberty  to  invite  the  minister  of  the  town  to 
preach  for  them  on  every  third  Sabbath,  dur- 
ing the  most  inclement  months."  In  1702  a 
separate  organization  was  granted  with  the 
privilege  of  building  a  meeting  house,  thirty 
fi"^'e  (35)  feet  square,  of  organizing  a  church 
and  of  hiring  a  minister  whose  salary  should 
be  70  ])ounds  a  year.  The  year  1703  sn.v  the 
erection  of  this  meeting  house  at  Center  Gro- 
tiin  near  the  juncture  nf  four  roads,  and  to  pay 
the  expense  of  building,  300  acres  of  town  land 
were  sold.  No  pictures  or  descriptions  of  this 
church  ha\e  come  down  to  us,  but  \vc  know 
that  it  was  in  use  until  I7f>7,  and  that  here  the 
first  four  ministers  preached. 

The  first  ])aslor.  who  wa^^  ordained  on  the 
eightli  of  NoN'ember,  1704,  was  Rev.   Kiihraim 


W'ootlbridge,  a  graduate  of  Harvard  college, 
lie  appears  to  have  been  greatly  respected  and 
beloved  by  his  people  who  made  up  practi- 
cally the  entire  population  of  the  town.  We 
find  that  within  ten  years  his  salary  was  in- 
creased to  100  pounds  instead  of  the  70  pounds 
allotted  to  him,  and  that  he  was  presented  with 
a  farm  of  one  hundred  acres,  and  it  is  fur- 
ther recorded  that  the  town  volunteered  "to 
cut  and  cart  his  yearly  firewood,"  substantial 
proofs  of  the  esteem  in  which  he  was  held  by 
his  flock.  The  church  still  cherishes  one  relic 
of  his  pastorate.  In  1707,  John  Davie,  a 
farmer  and  the  first  town  clerk  of  Groton, 
came  into  possession  of  a  vast  English  estate 
and  baronetcy.  Upon  his  departure  for  Eng- 
land he  left  a  gift  of  six  pounds  to  purchase 
|ilate  for  Wx.  W'oodbridge's  church.  This  gift 
has  been  preser\ed  in  the  form  of  a  handsome 
silver  communion  cup  wdiich  was  used  reg- 
ularly in  our  worship  for  nearly  two  hundred 
\cars.  It  bears  this  inscription:  "The  Gift  of 
Sr  John  Da\ie  to  the  Church  of  Clirist  in 
Groton." 

On  account  of  ill  health  Mr.  \\'oodbridge 
ivas  dismissed  in  1724  after  a  pastorate  of 
twenty  years.  .\t  that  time  the  church  had 
eighty-four  members. 

The  second  pastor  was  Rev.  John  Owen, 
also  a  graduate  of  Harvard.  He  was  zealous 
ill  ]>ronioting  re\i\'als,  and  in  the  church  rec- 
ords we  find  that  during  revival  meetings  as 
many  as  eight}'  people  w'ere  received  into  the 
church  in  six  months,  the  entries  being  ac- 
coni])anied  b\'  such  ferxent  phrases  as:  "Deus 
laudetur,"  "(iratia  tihi  Domine."  and  "Christu:^ 
triumphans."  h'rom  these  same  records,  we 
are  led  to  beliex'e  that  ]\Ir.  Owen  thought  it 
fully  as  im|)ortant  that  his  converts  should 
continue  in  grace,  for  of  March  twenty-fourth. 
1752.  we  find  this  entry:  "At  a  meeting  of  the 
I'irst  Cliureh  of  Christ  in  (Irolon,  after  prayer. 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


23 


it  was  vulcd  b)-  the  Cluircli  that  such  members 
of  this  church,  whom  the  church  thought 
Delinquent  and  walked  Disorderly,  should  be 
called  to  an  account  before  the  church."  Then 
they  voted  particularly  concerning  eight  mem- 
bers (whose  names  are  givenj  "that  they  be 
notified  to  appear  before  the  church  and  give 
their  reasons  wh)-  they  had  separated  from  the 
public  worship  and  communion  of  the  church." 
At  a  meeting  in  April,  when  the  delincpients 
had  reported,  the  record  continues:  "This 
church  having  heard  all  the  reasons  they  of- 
fered, and  considered  and  weighed  them, 
voted  that  they  looked  ujion  the  reasons  as 
altogether  insufficient  to  justify  them,  and  that 
their  conduct  herein  was  disorderly,  sinful 
and  very  olTensi\-e,  and  that  therefore  they  lie 
suspended  from  coniniuninn  until  they  are 
convinced  thcrenf  and  make  (ii)S|iel  satisfac- 
tion." 

This  j)crsi)nal  supervision  1)y  the  jiastor 
seemed  to  agree  with  the  church,  fur  during 
his  twenty-si.x  years  of  ministry,  two  hundred 
and  three  members  were  added  to  this  cungre- 
gation.  Mr.  Owen  was  tlistinguished  for  his 
lil)crality  toward  those  who  differed  from  him 
in  points  of  doctrine,  and  he  advocated  relig- 
ii  us  tolerance  to  such  a  degree  that  in  1744 
he  was  summoned  before  the  .■\sseml)l\-  for 
heresy.  He  was  dismissed  on  the  gnuuid  that 
his  fault  was  not  due  to  contempt  of  law.  Init 
rather  to  a  misguided  conscience  and  oxer- 
heated  zeal.  Mr.  Owen  died  in  1753,  and  his 
tombstone  graphically  states: 

"Mail  of  God.  H  faithful  seer, 
Husband,  kind,  a  father  dear 
.'\nd  indeed  a  neighbor  near 
Was  he,  whose  clay  is  lodged  here." 

The  third  pastor  was  Rev.  Daniel   Kirkland 

who    remained    here    only    four   years,    and    of 

whose  pastorate  there  are  but  slight  records. 

lie  was  followed  i)y  Rev.  Jonathan  F.ar1)er,  the 

last  pastor  who  preached  in  the  Center  ( iroton 

meeting  house.     He  was  graduated  from  ^'alc 

in   17,^0,    and    for    awhile    lal)ored    among    the 

Afohegan   Indians.     AMien   George  ^^'hitefield 

first  came  to  New  England  in    1740.  Mr.  Rar- 

ber  was  among  the  first  to  ofifer  sympath\-  and 

co-operation,     and     NMiiteficld     believed     him 

sent  as  an  answer  to  [irayer:  henceforth  their 


friendship  was  mutual  ami  perpetual.  After 
Mr.  Rarber  was  settled  in  Groton,  W'hitefield 
visited  him  on  February  sixth,  1763,  and 
preached  in  the  old  meeting  house.  In  the  fol- 
lowing June  he  came  again  and  preached  from 
a  scaffolding  erected  from  the  second  story 
window  of  the  liarber  house.  The  area 
around  was  thronged  with  people  who  had 
come  from  miles  about  to  hear  him.  So  inter- 
ested were  they,  that  large  numbers  followed 
liis  carriage  when  he  drove  to  Xew  London. 
That  was  a  great  day  for  Groton  ! 

After  a  pastorate  of  ten  years,  JMr.  Rarber 
died  and  was  buried  in  the  Starr  cemeter}-.  At 
his  simple  funeral,  there  was  neither  hearse, 
nor  coaches  for  the  mourners.  The  honored  re- 
mains were  borne  upon  the  shoulders  of  many 


TUK  KINNK  .MEf;TIN<:    mUSK 

chosen  pall-bearers,  each  taking  his  turn,  while 
a  long  procession  followed,  walking.  No  dis- 
I'day  of  any  sort  was  indulged  in,  but  genuine 
were  all  the  expressions  of  reverential  sorrow 
and  lo\e. 

.\t  this  time,  1767,  the  second  meeting  house 
came  into  being.  The  first  that  had  been  used 
lor  si.xty- three  years  had  fallen  into  disrepair 
and  as  Groton  Rank  was  evidently  increasing 
in  |iopulation.  it  was  decided  to  move  in  that 
direction.  The  situation  chosen  was  the  cross- 
road running  north  to  l^leasant  ^'alley,  where 
it  joins  the  village  road  that  runs  np  the  hill 
to  the  Miner  homestead.  The  new  building- 
was  quadrangular  in  form,  a  substantial 
structure  of  white  oak,  well  clap-boarded, 
vhich  for  seating  capacity  compared  well 
with   our   present  church.      .\s  it   was   painted 


24 


HISTORIC   GKOrON 


but  once  during  its  existence  of  sixty-seven 
years,  it  grew  black,  and  that  name  clung  to  it 
although  it  is  known  in  history  as  "the  Kinne 
meeting-house."  It  had  doors  on  three  sides, 
the  east,  west  and  south,  and  as  one  entered 
the  south  door  he  faced  the  quaint  old  pulpit, 
perched  high  above  the  congregation,  with  its 
huge  sounding  board.  .K  straight  wooden 
bench  at  the  back  of  the  pulpit  provided  the 
minister's  seat,  and  over  his  head  was  a  small 
window.  On  each  side  of  the  center  aisle  were 
the  high-backed  pews;  a  boy's  chin  would 
just  come  to  the  top  of  (.>ne.  l^\ery  part  of 
the  inside  work  was  of  clear  nati\c  ])ine  and 
none  of  its  rich  coloring  was  e\'er  ilimnied 
b)'   paint. 

Around  the  walls  of  the  room,  was  a  row  of 
pews  interrupted  l)y  the  aisles  from  the  side 
doors.  A  galler_y  ran  around  three  sides  of  the 
house,  and  in  the  front  sat  the  singers  under 
the  leadership  of  five  choristers.  lUit  all  these 
leaders  were  sometimes  unable  to  hold  the 
congregation  to  the  tune  as  lined :  it  would 
persist  in  singing  the  most  familiar  one.  On 
such  occasions  the  singing  would  sometimes 
be  interrupted,  "to  get  a  fresh  start,"  and 
sometimes  it  would  be  allowed  to  proceed  with 
somewhat  inharmonious  results.  At  first  there 
were  no  cushions,  carpets  or  fire  in  this 
church,  but  about  1818,  in  the  face  of  much  op- 
position, a  bo-x  stove  was  placed  in  front  of  the 
pulpit.  Oftentimes  staunch  opposers  of  this 
luxury  would  complain  of  the  "intense"  heat 
and  of  the  discomfort  caused  by  it,  only  to  be 
told  that  there  was  not  one  bit  of  fire  in  the 
stove. 

Into  this  new  church,  in  ij'x),  came  Rev. 
.\aron  Kinne,  "tlie  pastor  of  the  Uexcilution." 
It  is  a  matter  c>f  deep  regret  that  we  ha\e  very 
slight  church  records  of  his  pastorate,  but 
from  other  sources  we  can  judge  of  the  trials 
through  which  he  and  his  people  passed.  In 
those  stirring  days  religion  was  somewhat 
tinged  with  ])olitics,  and  on  the  Sabbath,  the 
minister's  sermon  was  very  apt  to  deal  with 
the  wrongs  which  the  American  patriots  were 


endurnu 


and    to    suggest    some    remedx'    tor 


them.      Hut    ibis   congregation    was   not   to   be 
contented   with   mcrch'   discussing  the   matter; 


it  was  to  have  an  acti\e  part  in  the  new-born 
nation's  struggle.  On  September  sixth,  1781, 
in  the  Battle  of  Groton  Heights,  every  male 
member  of  the  church,  except  Deacon  Solo- 
mon ]^Iorg'an,  who  was  then  a  very  old  man, 
was  killed.  To  Mr.  Kinne  came  the  sad  duty 
of  consoling  and  ministering  to  sixt_\'  widows 
and  three  times  as  man_\-  orphans,  all  made 
such  in  one  da}-.  It  was  due  to  his  faith  and 
energy  that  the  church  survi\ed  this  stunning 
l)low.  But  his  conflicts  did  not  close  with  the 
war.  in  1783,  for  the  people  made  an  effort  to 
rid  themseh'es  of  the  English  custom  of  sup- 
porting religion  by  taxation,  and  when  they 
found  Mr.  Kinne  opposed  to  the  abolishment 
of  that  custom,  many  of  the  influential  persons 
set  up  another  religious  meeting.  For  awhile, 
Mr.  Kinne  preached  as  a  missionary  in  Xew 
\  ork  state,  hiring  a  supply  for  his  pulpit  at 
home,  but  soon  amicable  relations  with  the 
(Iroton  church  were  restored  and  he  completed 
his  pastorate  of  twenty-nine  years,  the  long- 
est in  the  history  of  the  church. 

After  the  dismissal  of  Mr.  Kinne,  this  church 
v,-as  without  a  settled  pastor  for  thirteen  years, 
and  during  that  period  moral  depravity  ruled. 
"The  village  was  a  mciral  waste."  In  181 1,  Rev. 
Timothy  Tattle's  ordination  took  place  in  the 
Kinne  meeting  house,  and  a  new  order  of 
things  began  to  prevail.  He  was  made  pastor 
of  two  churches,  the  one  in  Xorth  Groton, 
now  Ledyard,  which  had  only  five  members ; 
and  the  one  at  (iroton  Bank  wdrich  had  twenty- 
seven.  Mr.  Tuttle  preached  to  each  congre- 
gation on  alternate  Sundaws,  hut  chose  his 
home  in  Ledyard.  He  was  exceedingly  faith- 
ful to  his  charges,  and  on  many  a  stormy 
.Sunday,  he  made  his  eight  mile  trip  to  the 
Lord's  luiuse.  \\  hen  he  was  settleil,  the 
country  was  preparing  for  its  second  great 
war  with  England,  in  behalf  of  free  commerce 
and  sailors'  rights.  This  town  suffered  es- 
pecially, since  it  has  always  been  the  h<)me  of 
so  many  sea-faring  men,  and  while  the  river 
was  blockaded  by  British  war  \essels,  both 
pastor  and  people  were  sorel\'  tried.  During 
his  pastorate  of  twenty-three  }'ears,  sixty-nine 
niemi)ers  were  added  to  the  church  and  the 
first  Sal)bath  school  was  o]ienerl.  so  the  church 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


25 


appears  to  have  been  flourisliing.  Un  the 
sixth  of  September,  1821,  ^Ir.  Tuttle  dehvered 
in  the  Old  Fort  the  "anniversary  sermon" 
which  by  request  was  published  and  is  still 
extant,  so  that  if  any  reader  feels  so  inclined 
he  may  come  into  touch  with  this  interestiuL; 
man,  through  his  own  writings.  In  1834,  at  his 
nvvn  recjucst,  Air.  Tuttle  was  dismissed  from 
this  church,  in  order  that  he  might  gi\c  his 
time  wholly  to  the  North  Church.  (  )n  Jiuie 
si.xth,  1864,  he  was  called  to  his  (lod,  and  from 
his  monument  in  Ledyard,  he  ever  says  to  his 
|)eo]ile  in  both  towns,  "Remember  the  words 
which  1  spoke  unto  you  while   1   was  }-et  with 

\'OU." 


call  on  one  of  his  parishioners  and  was  to  take 
tea  with  the  cordial  lady.  We  can  imagine 
that  for  the  occasion,  "Grandmother's"  flow- 
ing blue  china  had  been  brought  out,  her  verv 
best  preserves  and  cake  placed  on  the  table 
and  possibly  some  very  choice  tea  came  down 
from  its  shelf  in  the  ckjset,  since  it  was  an  open 
secret  that  Elder  Tuttle  was  x'cry  fond  of  tea. 
During  the  dainty  meal  she  in(iuircd  siilicit- 
ously  of  her  guest : 

"Elder  Tuttle,  is  your  tea  right?" 
"There's    no    bad    taste    to    it,"    replied    the 
Elder  simply. 

This  seemed  rather  nnappreciati\e  mitil  the 
hostess   peeked   into   her  tea-]iot   an<l   found   it 


.Mr.  Tuttle,  or  l'",Ider  Tuttle,  as  he  was  al- 
ways called,  was  a  \ery  tall,  strongly  built 
man  whose  countenance  mirrored  forth  the 
dignity  and  solidity  of  his  character.  E\-ery 
one  felt  great  reverence  for  him  which  ap- 
proached awe,  not  that  he  was  austere,  for  he 
was  truly  kind,  but  that  his  whole  mind  was 
absorbed  with  the'  thought  of  the  solemnitx- 
of  a  Christian's  life.  Around  this  straight- 
forward, outs])oken  man  have  gathered  many 
stories.  (  )ne  of  the  most  familiar  runs  some- 
thing like  this : 

One  winter  afternoon   Elder  Tuttle  came  to 


THK  OLD  CHIKCM   ON  THAMES  STREET 

contained  merely  hot  water.  And  even  to  this 
day  in  Groton,  a  forgetful  hostess  is  likely  to 
laugh    and   say,   "Well,    I    declare,    I've   luadc 


some  of  Elder  Tuttle's  tea.'' 

It  is  reported  that  this  same  hostess  once 
tried  to  pry  from  Elder  Tuttle  a  secret  con- 
cerning a  wedding  fee  which  he  had  received. 
.After  she  had  fpiestioned  him  awhile,  he 
kaned   forward   and   said   very   encouragingly, 

"Can  you  keep  a  secret?" 

"Yes,  of  course  I  can." 

"Well,  so  can  I." 

In  1830,  the  people  began  to  discuss  the  mat- 


26 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


ter  of  repairing  their  meeting  house,  which 
had  now  been  used  sixt}-three  3ears,  just 
as  long  as  their  first  house  of  worship.  Dur- 
ing that  time,  Groton  had  grown  to  be  a  fair- 
sized  village,  and  as  this  church  now  minis- 
tered to  this  district  particularly  it  was  de- 
cided to  locate  a  new  building  within  the 
village  of  Groton.  Accordingly  it  was  built 
in  1833  on  upper  Thames  street  not  far  below 
the  present  draw-bridge  on  property  given  b\- 
the  iJarber  family.  At  that  time  the  situation 
was  very  desirable  and  pleasant,  overlooking 
as  it  does,  the  beautiful  Thames  river.  This 
building  was  of  course  built  according  to  mod- 
ern ideas,  although  it  received  two  additions 
before  it  became  the  buililing  we  now  know. 
This  l:)uilding  is  still  standing,  although  the 
graceful  Gothic  spire  was  removed,  and  in- 
terior alterations  made,  when  it  ceased  to  be 
used  as  a  place  of  religious  worship.  For  foiu" 
years  after  Mr.  Tuttle's  dismissal  the  church 
vv'as  without  a  regular  pastor,  during  which 
time  four  able  substitutes  filled  the  pulpit. 

The  Rev.  Jared  .\ver\-,  a  descendant  of  one 
of  the  founders  of  the  town  of  Groton,  who 
v;as  installed  in  1839,  was  the  seventh  pastor. 
The  Ijeginning  of  Mr.  Avery"s  ministry  here 
was  the  opening  of  a  new  era  of  prosperity 
for  the  church.  After  an  interval  of  forty 
years,  the  townspeople  now  had  a  minister 
living  among  them  and  could  listen  to  preach- 
ing every  Sunday.  In  1842,  a  revival  of  great 
power  was  felt  in  this  community,  and  the 
nc-xt  year,  many  members  were  received  into 
tlie  church.  One  of  the  results  was  the  forma- 
tion of  the  Baptist  church  of  this  \illage.  and 
another  was  tlie  marked  increase  in  the  spirit 
of  giving  among  the  people.  .\t  this  time,  a 
schedule  of  benevolent  gi\'ing  was  for  the  first 
time  ado])ted.  This  ministry,  which  lasted 
twelve  years,  terminated  at  Mr.  .Vvery's  re- 
quest in  185 1.  Mr.  .\very  was  known  among 
his  people  for  his  enigmatic  sayings  and  his 
puns,  and  many  of  his  bright  remarks  are  still 
current. 

The  eighth  ])astor  (if  this  church  was  Rev. 
( ''eorge  .A.  \\'()odward,  who  was  installed  in 
1851.  His  family  had  liecii  associated  espec- 
ially  with  educational    work,   his  great-grand- 


lather  being  the  founder  and  first  president  of 
Dartmouth  college,  and  he  himself  established 
a  high  school  at  Shrewsbury,  New  Jersey,  of 
which  he  was  the  principal  for  four  years. 
His  ministry  in  Groton  was  marked  with  suc- 
cessful progress  and  continued  for  four  years 
and  a  half.  During  that  time  our  Articles  of 
haith  and  our  Covenant  were  revised,  printed 
and  circtilated  among  the  members  of  the 
church,  and  a  decided  improvement  was  mani- 
fested in  the  charitable  contributions.  His  res- 
ignation came  unexpectedly  in  1856  and  was 
rcluctantl}'  accepted  by  the  people. 

For  the  following  eight  years,  sulxstitutes 
again  supplied  the  pulpii  so  that  the  next  reg- 
ular minister.  Rev.  Samuel  iSrown,  was  not  in- 
stalled until  1864.  Mr.  Hrown  was  a  graduate 
cf  Yale  and  previous  to  his  conversion  had 
been  a  lawyer  and  a  teacher.  Groton  was  his 
second  pastorate  and  for  two  years  and  a  half 
he  was  '"a  burning  and  shining  light"  here. 
He  was  especially  interested  in  missionary 
work  and  during  his  pastorate  a  great  impetus 
was  given  to  the  church  benevolences.  The 
formation  of  The  Groton  Bank  Temperance 
Union  stands  as  a  monument  to  his  enter- 
prise. When  this  project  met  with  deter- 
mined opposition,  the  Baptist  pastor,  Elder 
Dewhurst,  supported  Mr.  Brown  loyally.  It 
is  said  that  never  had  there  been  more  Chris- 
tian union  in  the  church,  and  among  the 
churches  of  the  village  than  there  was  during 
Mr.  Brown's  ministry.  His  early  death,  in 
i86fi.  cut  short  his  many  plans  for  doing  gocid. 
During  his  brief  term  of  service,  thirty-fi\e 
mem])ers   were  added   to  the  church. 

The  tenth  pastor  was  Rev.  Joseph  E.  Swal- 
low, a  graduate  of  Dartmouth  college.  Dur- 
ing his  ministry,  about  $10,000  was  expended 
in  enlarging  and  improving  the  house  of  wor- 
ship and  the  congregation  was  largely  in- 
creased. Mr.  Swallow  was  also  active  in  Irv- 
ing to  promote  public  education  in  the  town, 
and  largely  through  his  efYorts,  the  nucleus 
if  the  school  building  we  now  use  was  erect- 
ed. The  story  is  told,  that  one  Sunday  when 
-Mr.  Swallow  was  occnp3-iiig  the  pulpit  of  a 
\ew  London  minister,  he  was  annoyed  by  the 
conduct  of  the  church  m-ganist,  who  sat   with 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


27 


the  choir.  He  stopped  in  the  midst  of  his  dis- 
course and  gazed  with  his  piercing  eyes  at  the 
oft'ender.  Naturally  all  eyes  were  turned 
toward  the  culprit  who  felt  very  uncomfort- 
able. At  the  close  of  the  service,  the  organist, 
who  was  somewhat  of  a  wag,  took  his  revenge 
by  playing,  "\Mien  the  Swallows  Homeward 
Fly." 

Mr.  Swallow's  dismissal  took  place  July 
first,  1870,  and  until  187 1  the  church  was  with- 
out a  pastor.  Rev.  James  1!.  Tyler  was  or- 
dained in  September  of  that  year.  His  death 
occurred  on  A'lay  twenty-eighth,  1872,  after  he 
had  been  here  onlv  eight   nmnths.     He  was  a 


heartily  for  every  good  interest  of  the  com- 
munity'. During  several  successive  winters 
he  held  revival  meetings  in  his  church  con- 
ducted by  well-known  evangelists  of  the  time. 
He  did  not  content  himself  with  simply  hold- 
iiig  such  meetings,  but  often  took  the  visiting 
evangelist  around  from  house  to  house,  so 
that  the  people  might  come  into  intimate, 
friendly  relations  with  him.  As  a  result  of  his 
zeal,  many  members  were  recei\'ed  into  the 
church.  In  1877  after  much  labor  and  [)ains- 
taking  research  he  published  a  "Review  of  the 
L'cingregational  Church"  from  1704  to  his  ])a^- 
l^rate,  with  sketches  of  the  ministers.       That 


NKW   ( ONCIM'.C 

ivian  of  strong  intellectuality  and  much  cul- 
ture, and  if  he  had  been  s])ared  it  is  evident 
that  he  would  ha\'e  accomplished  much  good 
The  memoirs  of  Mr.  Tyler  have  been  writ- 
ten at  length  by  Rev.  J.  H.  DeForest  and  the 
following  (|UOtation  is  from  that  \'olunie  :  "As 
a  pastor,  he  was  pious,  sincere,  faithful,  un- 
tiring. He  loved  his  people  with  an  unchang- 
ing love,  and  almost  his  last  words  were,  'You 
are  ver}-  kind  to  me,  I   love  you  all.'  " 

After  Mr.  Tyler's  death,  the  church  was 
without  a  pastor  until  November  of  1872, 
when  Rev.  John  A.  ^^'oodhull  was  ordained. 
He    was    a    \ery    spiritual    man    and    worked 


Al'KlNAI.  (Ill   Kc  II 

b(jok  contains  all  that  can  be  gleaned  from 
records  concerning  the  church,  and  is  \'ery  ac- 
curate in  its  information.  Jt  is  l)y  far  the 
best  authority  on  the  subject  and  to  it  we  are 
indebted  for  many  of  the  facts  embodied  in 
this  article.  Mr.  \\"oo(lhull  was  dismissed  in 
1880,  after  serving  eight  }ears. 

Since  1880,  three  jJastors  have  minislercd 
in  this  church:  the  Rev.  A.  j.  .McLeod  for 
twelve  years.  Rev.  Edward  C.  \\'illiams  for 
two  years,  and  Rev.  Frederick  .S.  Hyde  for 
thirteen  years.  It  is  not  our  ]3urpose  to  chron- 
icle in  detail  the  events  of  those  pastorates; 
that  privilege  we  leave  for  some  future  writer. 


28 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


We    shall    niciUiun    but    one    iniportant    event, 
the  building  of  a  new  church  structure. 

In  1900,  the  question  of  making  repairs  to 
the  old  church  arose,  but  when  it  was  found 
that  they  would  of  necessity  be  very  exten- 
si\  e,  the  church  people  decided  to  build  a  new 
structure  instead.  The  site  chosen  was  the 
lot  on  the  corner  of  Monument  and  ^^leridian 
streets,  and  here,  in  Kpi,  just  si.xty-eight 
years  after  the  dedication  of  the  former 
church,  the  curner  stone  of  the  new  structure 
was  laid.  This  beautiful  edifice  is  in  the  Old 
I£nglish  style  of  architecture,  and  is  construct- 
ed of  field  stones  laid  in  cement.  The  front 
nf  its  tower,  over  the  western  entrance,  was 
built  of  stones  taken  from  localities  con- 
nected with  the  history  of  the  church  and 
town.  There  are  some  from  the  old  church 
lot  at  Center  Ciroton.  some  from  the  "old 
black  meeting  house,"  and  many  from  the 
home  lots  of  the  early  pastors.  Each  of  the 
deacons  had  a  memorial  stone  and  many  of 
the  old  families  of  the  town  are  here  repre- 
sented. 

The  church  treasures  three  beautiful  mem- 
orial windows.  A  very  large  one  represent- 
ing the  ()aral:)le  of  The  Ten  Talents,  occupies 
the  western  end.  This  was  presented  bv  the 
Avery  famil}-.  whose  members  ha\e  always 
occupied  a  \ery  prominent  position  in  the 
town  and  church.  (  )n  the  north  side  is  a  win- 
dow from  the  TitTany  stiudios  re])resenting 
Christ  as  the  Shepherd  of  I  lis  Sheej),  a  fitting 
memorial  to  Rev.  John  A.  W'oodhull.  The 
third,  of  con\-cntioiial  design,  is  a  memorial  to 


Deacon  and  .Mrs.  \>  ilson  Alhn.  The  dedica- 
tion exercises  were  held  on  October  sixteenth, 
1902,  the  two  hundredth  anniversary  of  the 
founding  of  the  church,  the  dedicatory  ser- 
mon being  preached  by  Rev.  S.  H.  Howe,  D. 
D.,  of  Norwich  from  the  text,  "What  mean 
ye  by  these  stones." 

In  June,  1908,  Rew  James  R.  Danforth,  D. 
1).,  was  installed  as  our  sixteenth  pastor  and 
we  sincerely  hope  tliat  for  many  years  he  may 
li\e  among  us  "that  good,  diffused,  may  more 
abundant   grow." 

One  can  not  study  the  history  of  this  church 
without  feeling  that  in  many  ways,  it  has  lieen 
especially  blest.  It  had  a  most  noble  ances- 
try of  men  antl  women  who  were  children  of 
the  best  early  settlers  upon  the  shores  of  Mass- 
achusetts bay,  and  in  whose  veins  flowed  the 
best  blood  of  the  mother  country.  Sturdy  in 
body,  keen  in  mind  and  fervent  in  sjiirit.  the}' 
gave  to  this  church  a  splendid  birthright.  It 
has  been  enriched  by  an  educated  ministry. 
Its  pastors  have  all  been  graduates  of  col- 
leges ;  men  of  intellectuality  and  culture  who 
have  done  much  toward  maintaining  a  high 
standard  of  living  here  in  Groton.  It  has  also 
noble  descendants.  From  it  have  gone  forth 
half  a  score  of  ministers,  among  thciu  the  first 
Episcopal  bishop  in  this  countr}- ;  and  man_v 
useful  men  and  women  in  all  walks  of  life 
have  received  their  religious  training  from  this 
church.  \\  ith  one  of  her  pastors  we  sav, 
■  \\'ith  a  past  so  full  of  blessing  and  attain- 
ment, may  the  future  of  this  religions  house- 
hold be  grand  in  hol\-  usefulness." 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


29 


Groton  Heights  Baptist  Church 

By  REV.  GEORGE  R.  ATHA 


CHURCH  that  was  organized  in 
1843  t-annot  boast  of  "hoary  walls 
and  ancient  halls,"  especially  if  it 
is  worshipping  in  the  second 
building  it  has  occupied  since  that 
(hilf.  \\l  the  writer  of  this  brief  record  being 
l'ri\ile,L;ecl  from  time  to  time  to  hold  the  cups 
and  plates  of  the  old  pewter  conininnion  set, 
has  thus  been  led  to  think  of  the  brethren  who 
].artook  of  the  elements  of  the  sacrament 
therefrom,  and  he  cannot  but  rejoice  in  their 
history. 

The  stor\'  is  brief,  covering  but  si.\ty-six 
years,  and  it  begins  thus:  "A  council  called  by 
certain  brethren  and  sisters  residing  in  the 
lijwns  of  (iroton,  New  London  and  Jewett 
City,  f(_ir  the  purpose  of  giving  them  fellow- 
slii])  as  a  church,  to  be  called  "The  Haptist 
Church  at  (iroton  Hank,'  convened  at  the 
house  of  Deacon  Robert  A.  .\very  on  Thurs- 
day, March  16,  1843,  'I'ld  organized  at  11 
o'clock  a.  m.  After  due  inquiry  into  the  cir- 
cumstances under  wliich  the  church  came  into 
existence,  the  council  voted  'That  when  the 
church  shall  adopt  the  articles  and  the  cove- 
nant, we  extend  to  it  the  hand  of  fellowslii]>  as 
a  church  in  ( lospel  order." 

h'ollowing  this  action  the  council  adjourned 
to  meet  in  the  meeting  house  for  the  public 
exercises,  the  Congregational  church  having 
kindly  ofifered  their  house  for  the  occasion. 
The  church  came  together  and  in  the  presence 
of  the  congregation  adopted  their  articles  of 
faitli  and  covenant,  after  which  the  serxices 
proceeded  as  folows : 

Reading  of  Scriptures  and  prayer  by  Rex-. 
]!.  V .  ITedden  ;  Sermon  by  Rev.  Pi.  Cook,  text, 
Kphesians  2:  19-20;  Prayer  of  Recognition  by 
Rev.  I..  Coxill  :  Hand  of  Fellowship  by  Rev. 
IT.  R.  Kna])]) :  Charge  to  the  Chtn-ch  by  Re\'.  T. 
R.    .Stoward :    concluding    prayer   by    Rev.    E. 


Denison.   Such   is   the   story   of   the   beginning 
of  the  church. 

At  the  time  of  the  organization  there  were 
51  enrolleil  as  mendjers  of  the  church.  Ser- 
\  ices  were  held  either  at  the  North  Lane 
school  house  or  in  the  school  house  of  District 
No.  I,  But  temporary  cpiarters  did  not  long 
satisfy  this  little  company,  whose  buoyant, 
optimistic  and  progressive  spirit  is  borne  wit- 
ness to  in  the  following  paragraphs  taken  \-er- 
hatim  from  the  church  records: 

I.  .\t  a  meeting  held  un  Mareh  J5th,  1843  (nine 
days  after  the  organization  was  effected)  it  was  voted: 
"That  we  circulate  a  subscription  to  build  a  meeting 
liouse  for  the  church." 

_'.  On  the  i8th  of  July,  1844,  it  was  voted;  "That  the 
building  committee  be  instructed  to  accept  proposals 
and  build  a  meeting  house  for  the  Groton  Bank  Baptist 
Clnn-ch,  according  to  their  best  judgment." 

T,.  In  May,  1845,  it  was  voted:  "That  our  meeting 
house  be  dedicated  10  the  service  of  Almighty  God  on 
the  4th  of  June,  1845.  and  that  Elder  Jabez  S.  Swan  be 
invited   to   preach   tlic  dedication   sermon." 

This  first  meeting  house  ser\-ed  the  church 
as  its  place  of  worshi])  from  1843  until  1872. 
It  still  stands  on  Thames  .St.,  just  where  }'ou 
make  the  turn  in  going  to  the  railroad  station. 
It  was  remodelled  and  has  been  used  for  some 
years  now  as  a  dwelling. 

In  1871,  during  the  second  pastorate  of  El- 
der Allen,  the  church  building  was  found  too 
small  to  accommodate  the  cinigregation,  so 
the  subscription  list  was  again  circulated  with 
the  result  that  $4,500  was  raised,  which  with 
the  value  of  the  church  property  made  a  work- 
ing capital  of  o\-er  $6,000.  .\  building  commit- 
tee was  appointed  and  the  work  pushed  for- 
ward \-igorously  so  that  on  the  nth  of  July. 
1872,  the  building  was  finished  and  dedicated, 
the  sermon  on  this  occasion  being  preached 
l;y  Rev.  John  Davies  of  Norwich.  The  church 
edifice  has  been  well  ke])t  and  is  in  a  good 
state   of   preserxatiim.      In    1S74   it    was    freed 


3° 


HISTORIC  GROTOX 


in  nil  (k'l)l  Ml  far  as  the  building  fund  was 
concerned,  and  during  that  year  also  a  hell 
was  placed  in  the  tower  by  eight  of  the  breth- 
ren (if  the  clinrch.  Tn-day  the  growth  of  the 
Bible  school  and  the  desire  for  a  more  conven- 
ient arrangement  for  classes  is  leading  the 
trustees  and  other  officers  to  think  seriously 
as  to  how  they  can  best  rearrange  the  ves- 
trys  to  facilitate  and  make  more  efficient  this 
N'igorous  dejiartnicnt  of  the  church's  work. 

Counting  the  ]iresciit  iiicuiiibcnt,  it  may  be 
interesting  to  note  that  the  church  has  had 
(luring  these  sixty-six  years  thirteen  jiastors, 
while  (Ml   three  different  occasions   there  have 


in  frame  and  in  heart  he  gave  a  splendid  proof 
(if  his  ministry.  Two  hundred  and  forty-three 
were  added  tn  the  church  during  his  pastorates 
and  his  name  will  ever  be  honored  in  this  com- 
munity. 

Re\-.  E.  T.  Miller's  pastorate  was  next  in 
kngtli,  covering  a  period  of  eight  years  and 
seven  months,  and  next  again  in  point  of  time 
was  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  L.  R.  Sears,  who 
rounded  out  six  years  with  this  people.  Elder 
I'.alleiitine  would  come  next  with  fi.nir  and  a 
third  years  of  sjilendid  achievement  in  both 
material  and  spiritual  things,  ^\"hile  many  of 
the  pastorates  were  brief,  (iod's  blessing  was 


(iHorox  UKKiirrs  u.vrrisT  (Hi  i{(  ii 


been  so-called  supply  pastors.  The  pastors 
were,  in  order,  as  follows:  Reverends  Ruther- 
ford Russell.  .\.  T.  .Mien,  (first  jiastorate"). 
Isaac  Cheeseborough,  Edgar  Hewitt,  George 
^Fatthew-s,  Elihu  Dewhurst,  X.  T.  .\llen  (sec- 
ond pastorate").  Xoyes  W".  Miner,  D.  D.. 
( leorge  R.  Darrow,  George  N.  Ballenlinc.  E 
T.  Miller.  I..  R.  Sears  and  George  R.  .\tha. 
The  suppl\-  pastors  were  E.  Andrews,  M.  M. 
llaveii.  and  William  .\.  Smith. 

Of  this  group  none  can  compare,  of  course, 
cither  in  length  (^f  service,  or  in  their  grip 
upon  the  clinrch  and  community,  with  Elder 
.\llen.  who  for  a  period  of  almost  twentv 
vears  guided  the  affairs  of  the  church.  Earge 


not  wanting  in  them  as  the  records  attest.  Es- 
pecially is  this  to  be  noted  in  the  brief  minis- 
tries of  Revs.  Rutherford  Russell.  Elihu  Dew- 
hurst and  Dr.  X.  W.  Miner,  who  though  here 
for  but  brief  periods,  respectively,  saw  eighty- 
four,  thirty-two  and  sixty-one  added  to  the 
church.  Re\-.  W.  .\.  Smith  who  served  as  su])- 
I'ly-pastor.  gratuitously.  t(->o.  be  it  said,  had  his 
service  of  love  honored  by  twent\'-eight  Iieing 
added  to  the  church  while  it  was  under  his 
care.  God  has  indeed  honored  his  servants 
here,  in  that  over  six  hundred  altogether  dur- 
ing these  years  ha\e  been  brought  into  the  fel- 
lowship of  the  church,  and  all  have  been  jirixi- 
leged  to  share,  not  only  in  the  sowing  of  the 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


31 


seed,  but  alsu  in  the  reaping  ot  tlie  harvest, 
'i'he  years  1845,  1848,  1872-73  and  1882  were 
\  oars  marked  by  special  nianifcstatiuns  of 
s]jirilual  puwer  in  the  eonxersiun  uf  men. 

It  would  be  a  difficult  thing  to  determine 
just  where  one  ouglit  to  stoj)  if  he  attempted 
to  make  mention  of  the  men  and  women,  who 
during  these  sixty-si.x  years  have  sought  by 
Inving  and  painstaking  service  in  this  church 
li'  honor  ( lod  and  ad\ance  the  interests  of  His 
king(l(ini.  ilut  there  are  two  names  that  no 
one  writing  of  the  church  would  be  able  to 
omit,  so  indelibly  ha\e  they  been  written  in 
the  church's  histor}'.  The  first  of  these  names 
is  that  of  Deacon  Robert  Austin  Avery, 
through  "whose  untiring  and  self-den_\ing  ef- 
forts this  church  had  its  birth."  For  nineteen 
years  he  served  as  senior  deacon,  seldom  be- 
ing absent  from  the  services  though  he  li\'ed 
some  distance  from  the  church.  He  died  De- 
cember 20,  1862.  The  church  records  during 
those  nineteen  years  indicate  that  the  heart 
and  hand  of  Deacon  Avery  were  ever  mindful 
of  the  church,  and  that  he  abounded  in  evcr_\- 
good  word  and  work.  JJesides  him  was  Dea- 
con Charles  11.  Starr,  who  also  was  with  the 
church  at  the  beginning  even  though  his  name 
does  not  appear  as  a  constituent  member,  lie 
was  elected  deacon  in  November,  1843,  and 
served  the  church  in  that  office  for  a  period  of 
sixty-two    years.      A    quiet,    simple,    straight- 


forward, good  man,  his  sincerity  and  virtue 
impressed  his  brethren  in  the  church  and  also 
his  neighbors  and  fellow  townsmen.  This 
record  is  all  too  brief  to  indicate  what  the  ear- 
nest faith  and  piety  of  these  brethren  meant  in 
the  way  of  blessing  to  the  church,  but  without 
such  mention  of  them  any  record  would  have 
lo  be  marked  incomplete. 

Of  the  allied  and  auxiliary  organizations  to 
the  church,  the  Sunday  school  of  course  stands 
first  in  the  hearts  of  the  people.  It  has  an  en- 
rolled membership  of  about  two  hundred  and 
fifty,  with  an  average  attendance  of  one  hun- 
dred and  forty.  Its  nineteen  classes  give  op- 
portunity for  students  of  all  ages  to  share  in 
L'lible-study,  and  it  manifests  an  actixe  inter- 
est in  all  the  varied  missionary  and  philan- 
thropic enterprises  espoused  by  the  church. 

Other  organizations  arc  the  Ladies'  Mis- 
sionary Society,  the  Ladies'  Benevolent  So- 
ciety, and  the  Baptist  Young  People's  LInion. 
These  give  ample  opportunity  for  expression 
and  participation  in  the  varied  lines  of  work, 
and  all  are  proving  helpful  to  the  work  of  the 
church  at  large  in  practical  ways  and  in  pray- 
erful ways,  in  studious  paths  and  in  ])aths 
where  time  and  talent  must  be  sacrificed  that 
the  church  may  be  sustained,  and  the  blessed 
gospel  preached  both  here  at  home  and  yonder 
across  the  sea. 


HISTORIC  GEO  TON 


The  Bishop  Seabury  Memorial  Church 


By  REV.  C.  S.  M.  STEWART 


HE  Rev.  R.  M.  Duff  of  St.  James' 
Cluirch,  Xew  I.<jiuUui,  held  the 
first  Epi.scopaHan  services  mi 
\\  ednesday  evenings  in  Lent, 
1S74,  wliich  resulted  in  the  fouiid- 
le   Alissiiin   in   (n'Otnii.     .\  Sundav  af- 


>i-:  \i;i  i:n    \ii:mi  ii;i  \i    1  11  \i'i,i. 

It  mix  m  scr\ice  was  conducted  hv  him  during 
tlie  following  June  and  continued  until  (  )c- 
toher  of  that   vear,   when    the      Re\  .      .Millidt^e 


Walker,  the  regular  appointed  missionary, 
assumed  charge  of  the  work.  Success  crowned 
the  labor  of  the  missionary  and  soon  sufiticient 
funds  had  been  obtained  for  the  construction 
of  the  present  church  edifice.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Walker  submitted  plans  drawn  liy  himself  to 
a  committee  appointed  liy  the  board  of 
directors  of  the  the  missionary  society  of  the 
diocese  which  were  found  to  be  satisfactory 
ami  ground  was  broken  on  the  20th  of  July, 
1873.  The  first  service  held  in  the  church  was 
on  Christmas  ex'ening  of  the  same  year,  and 
there  the  congregation  continued  to  worship 
until  the  following  Whitsunda}",  June  4th, 
1876.  The  church  building  being  still  in  an 
unfinished  condition,  the  services  were  held 
for  a  brief  period  of  time  in  Mechanics'  Hall, 
where  pre\iousl}-  the  congregation  had  met  for 
worship. 

.\  completed  and  churchly  structure  awaited 
the  return  of  the  congregation  on  .Sunday.  Au- 
gust 13th,  1876,  and  the  Rev.  J.  F.  Taunt  was 
the  officiating  clergyman.  The  Rev.  Mr. 
Taunt  having  lieen  appointed  priest-in-charge 
by  the  bishop  of  the  diocese,  entered  ujion  his 
duties  September  3d,  1876.  The  last  mentioned 
clergyman  was  followed  by  the  Rev.  H.  T. 
Gregory  wliose  ministration  began  Afarcli  (ith. 
1878.  The  Rev.  ^\v.  Gregory  rendered  the 
important  service  of  lifting  a  debt  of  $1,750.00 
wliicli  had  |irevcnted  the  consecration  of  the 
church.  On  Tnesdav,  September  13th,  i88t. 
the  church  was  consecrated  and  set  apart  for- 
ever for  holy  worship  under  the  title  of  Sea- 
liur\-  Memorial  Church,  in  reverential  respect 
to  the  niemorv  of  the  Risht  Reverend  Samuel 
.'^eabur>'.  D.  D  .  the  first  bishop  of  the  .\meri- 
can  church  ;in(l  of  the  diocese  of  Connecticut, 
who  was  born  in  Groton.  Xovembcr  30th.  1720. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


33 


The  Missionaries  in  cliar,L;c  have  heen  : 

1.  The  Kev.  K.  ^[.  Duft— Lent.  1874.  to  iStli 

Siuulav  after  Trinity. 

2.  The  Rev.  .MilHdge  \\  alker— 18th  Sunday 

after  Trinity  to  Lent,  1876. 

(The  Rev.  C.  H.   B.  Tremaine — .\sh  \\  ethies- 
day.  1876.  to  Whitsunday.) 

3.  The  Rev.  J.  Ferdinand  Taunt — utii  Sun- 

day after  Trinity.  1876.  to  Lent.  1878. 

4.  The  Rev.  Henry  T.  Gregory — Ash  Wed- 

nesday,  1878,  to   Holy   Innocents.   1882. 

5.  Rev.    t)rIando    P.    Starkey — Easter    Day. 

1883.  to  Lent,  1885. 

(The   Rev.   Peter   L.  Shepard — Lent.    1S85,  to 
iitli  Sundax   after  Trinitv.) 


6.  The  Rev.  James  O.  Ticknor — k\\\  connec- 

tion with  St.  Marks  Parish.  Mystic) — 
ttth  Sunday  after  Trinity.  1885.  to  8tii 
Sunday  after  Trinity,  i88(>. 

7.  The  Rev.  William  L.  Peck — 17th  Sunday 

after  Trinity.  188(1,  to  0th  Sunday  after 
Trinity,  18*^4. 

8.  The    Rev.    X.    Alanson    Weltou — 181)4    to 

i8<,K>. 
<>     The  Rev.  Theodore     M.     Peck — i8o()     to 

1898. 
10.     The  Rev.   Paul   F.   Hoffman — ist  Sunday 

after  Trinity.  i8t)8  to  n;o2. 
1902-1904 — The   Rev.   Millidge  Walker. 
1 904- 1906 — Sup])lies. 
1906-1907 — The  Rev.  F.  H.  Stedman. 
1907-1908 — The   Rev.  .\delhert   McGinnis. 
1908— The  Rev.  C.  S.  M.  Stewart. 


34 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


The  Work  of  the  Anna  Warner  Bailey  Chapter,  D.  A.  R. 

of  Groton  and  Stonington 

By  GRACE  D.  WHEELER 


IliOUT  fifty  years  ago,  tlicrc  lived  on 
the  old  Gershoni  Lambert  estate, 
near  the  borough  of  Stonington, 
Conn.,  a  family  1)y  the  name  of  Day. 
Some  years  before  they  had  left  their 
home  in  Xew  London,  Conn.,  for  New  Orleans, 
La.,  where  Mr.  Day  aceumnlated  in  business  a 
handsouie  fortune  and  upon  returnnig  north,  for 
a  summer  home,  saw  and  purchased  this  beauti- 
ful estate,  later  known  as  Walnut  Grove  or  the 
Day  Place.  It  is  situated  off  the  public  road, 
but  reached  by  passing  through  the  gate  at  the 
lodge,  where  wending  your  way  in  a  green 
meadow,  under  arching  trees  and  over  bridges, 
you  reach  at  last,  the  handsome  mansion  budt 
there  by  Mr.  James  I.  Day  and  beautified  during 
his  ownership,  through  the  summer  months  and 
later,  when  he  occupied  it  for  the  season.  Here 
his  family  lived  in  luxury,  entertaining  friends 
and  bringing  not  a  little  social  distinction  to 
Stonington. 

.\mong  this  family  of  several  l)eautitul  daugh- 
ters, was  Abby,  wdio  married  Cuthbert  Harrison 
Slocomb,  the  wedding  occurring  amid  nuich  hap- 
piness in  this  house  and  later  they  went  to  live 
in  Xew  Orleans.  After  travelling  much  abroad 
and  at  home  and  experiencing  many  eventful  e])i- 
sodes  in  social  life,  bearing  w'ith  fortitude  the 
loss  of  her  husband  and  with  equal  equanimity, 
the  happy  marriage  of  her  daughter,  to  Count 
Di.  Brazza  Savorgnan  of  Italy,  Mrs.  Slocomb 
came  back  in  later  years,  to  her  early  home  in 
Stonington  and  visited  friends,  while  seeking  a 
beautiful  location  for  a  home,  which  she  found 
at  Groton,  Conn.,  where,  after  combining  two  or- 
dinary houses  into  the  one  modern  and  unique 
design,  which  stands  there  today,  on  Monument 
street,  she  named  it  "Daisy  Crest  over  Groton." 
Perhaps  living  in  the  very  shadow  of  Groton 
Heights'  towering  granite  monument  and  conse- 


(|uently  nearby  Old  F(.)rt  Griswold,  with  its  glo- 
rious and  patriotic,  but  ghastly  historic  memory 
of  Revolutionary  days,  was  the  cause  of  imbuing 
Mrs.  Slocomb  with  zeal  in  the  service  of  those 
Revolutionary  descendants,  who  formed  October 
nth,  i8yo,  in  Washington,  D.  C,  the  National 
Society  of  The  Daughters  of  the  American  Rev- 
olutiini.  Certain  it  was,  that  she  responded 
promptly  to  the  call  for  help,  which  came  to  her 
from  Mrs.  H.  \'.  Boynton,  \'ice-President  Gen- 
eral, in  charge  of  the  organization  of  chapters, 
who  desired  that  daughters  of  the  heroes  of  the 
Revolution  should  assist  in  forming  chapters  in 
every  city,  town  and  county  of  Connecticut,  which 
should  foster  patriotism  and  education  in  the 
principles  of  our  government  and  also  preserve 
the  unwritten  history  of  the  struggle  for  inde- 
pendence that  our  ancestors  endured. 

?klrs.  Slocomb  came  at  once  to  Stonington  seek- 
ing members  for  this  new  society  and  called  at 
my  home  to  secure  help  in  tracing  those  eligible 
to  membership.  Thus  my  name  stands  first  after 
the  Regent,  as  the  second  charter  member.  In 
August,  i8<J3,  Mrs.  Slocomb  sent  out  letters  of 
invitation  to  ladies  to  form  a  chapter  in  Groton 
antl  Stonington,  and  later  in  the  month  held  an 
informal  meeting  at  her  house,  of  those  eligi- 
ble and  desirous  of  forming  a  chapter  of  the 
Daughters  of  the  American  Revolution,  which  or- 
ganization was  later  named  .\nna  Warner  Bailey, 
in  honor  of  Groton"s  most  distinguished  patriotic 
woman  of  Revolutionary  days. 

The  first  regular  meeting  of  this  chapter  was 
held  September  13th,  1893,  ^^  Mrs.  Slocomb's 
home,  she  having  been  appointed  Regent  by  the 
National  Board  at  Washington.  There  were 
fourteen  ladies  present  and  other  officers  were 
chosen,  viz.:  Mrs.  Eugene  Baker,  registrar; 
Miss  Grace  D.  Wheeler,  vice-registrar ;  Miss 
Julia  Avery,  secretary ;  and  Miss  Sarah  H.  Mor- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


3S 


gan,  treasurer.  The  Board  of  Management  was 
Mrs.  Daniel  Morgan,  Mrs.  Frederic  Bill,  since 
deceased,  and  Mrs.  Belton  A.  Copp,  while  the 
sixteen  charter  members  were  Mrs.  C.  H.  Slo- 
comb.  Miss  Grace  D.  \Mieeier,  Mrs.  Isaac  P. 
liouse.  Miss  Sarah  H.  Alorgan,  Mrs.  J.  O.  Spi- 
cer,   Mrs.    Eugene    L.    Baker,    Mrs.    Henry    H. 


MRS.  .\NNA  W.\KXi;i;   H.VUJ'.V 
Known   as   "Mother   Ii:iilc-y"' 

Stoddard,  Mrs.  Elisha  Thomas,  Mrs.  Frederic 
Bill,  Miss  Mary  J.  Avery,  Mrs.  Belton  A. 
Copp,  Mrs.  Daniel  ^lorgan.  Miss  Julia  (_) 
Avery,  Miss  Cora  Avery,  Miss  I'.eulah  Star- 
key.  Mrs.  X.  S.  Fish. 

in  April,  1894,  the  first  meeting  in  Stonington 
was  held  at  Mrs.  F.  B.  Noyes'  home.  The  K--- 
gent  used  a  gavel,  presented  to  her  by  the  chap- 
ter, and  made  of  oak  from  a  rafter  in  Alother 
Bailey's  liouse  highly  iiolished  and  with  an  in- 
scription on  a  silver  plate.  There  were  twentv- 
five  present.  ^Vithin  the  }ear.  there  were  103 
members,  making  with  one  exception  the  largest 
chapter  in  the  state.  Three  years  later  there  were 
150  members  and  seven  real  daughters  of  Revo- 
lutionary heroes  had  been  found  and  presented 
with  the  gold  spoon  from  the  national  society 
at  Washington.  About  this  time  Mrs.  Sloconib 
was  re(|uested  to  allow  her  name  to  be  used  for 
State  Regent,  but  dechned  the  honor,  saying,  she 
"felt  convinced  that  the  Daughters  of  Connecti- 
cut would  be  best  served  by  remaining  where  she 
was."  We  see  now  how  wise  her  decision, 
as  we  glance  along  the  various  lines  of  work,  car- 


ried successfully  to  a  grand  finish,  for  in  less  than 
three  months  after  her  appointment  as  Regent, 
she  had  begun  consulting  with  Congressman 
Charles  Russell  as  approaching  the  United  States 
authorities  in  regard  to  the  wall  and  grounds  of 
I-'ort  Griswold  and  the  Monument  House,  so  that 
it  should  be  a  fitting  reception  hall  for  the  patri- 
otic public,  who  visit  it  in  such  multitudes  every 
year,  1,200  names  being  inscribed  on  the  visi- 
tors' book  in  two  months.  She  was  successful 
in  her  good  work  and  the  General  Assembly  made 
us  custodians  of  the  house,  later  granting  three 
hundred  dollars  a  year  for  care  and  repass. 

Right  upon  this,  the  chapter  sent  those  num- 
erous petitions,  150  or  \(yo.  to  Congress,  asking 
for  the  consecrated  soil  which  rightfullv  be- 
longed to  Fort  Griswold's  battle  ground,  lying 
directly  east,  which  was  later  incorporated  into 
the  grounds  of  the  old  redoubt  'by  the  United 
States  government.  These  [printed  words  can 
scarcely  convey  the  amount  of  thought,  work  and 
time  needed  to  accomplish  this  purchase,  but  the 
sincere  thanks  of  all  patriotic  people  are  given 
this  chapter  for  preventing  the  building  of  houses, 
which  was  fast  encroaching  upon  this  historic 
ground. 

(^ur  ineetings  were  generally  held  at  the  Bill 
Library,  but  as  the  Fairie  Masque,  a  cliarniing 
pla\-,   written  by   Mrs.   Slocomb  and   held  in   the 


::S'«»gi.i.,  1^.^- 


THE    MOTHKR  B.\ILEV   HOTSK 


New  London  Theatre,  by  our  societv  in  June, 
1895,  proved  so  successful,  the  proceeds,  four 
hundred  dollars,  were  used  to  fit  up  the  little 
stone  monument  house,  which  had  been  voted 
by  the  Monument  .\ssociation  for  their  use  and 
granted  to  us  by  the  State,  so  that  on  the  sixth 
of   September,    1894,    the    113th    anniversary   of 


36 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


the  massacre  at  Groton  Heights,  the  keys  were 
given  over  to  the  Regent  and  the  house  was 
formally  opened  to  the  public.  The  chapter 
was  present  with  their  invited  guests,  repre- 
senting church,  state,  army,  navy,  art,  literature, 
wealth  and  fashion,  who  all  listened  attentively 
to  a  speech  by  Hon.  C.  A.  Russell,  and  a  poem 
written  by  our  life  poetess.  Rose  Hawthorne 
Lathrop,  was  read  by  ^Irs.  Clara  B.  \\'hitman, 
which  with  music  and  refreshments  filled  the 
programme. 

At  sunset,   Chinese   lanterns   flashed  out   from 
the   monument   and   house,   while   fireworks  and 


Ledyard,  where  he  paid  triljute  money  of  a  York 
shilling  to  a  tidy,  little  woman,  living  in  the 
stone  building,  from  whom  he  received  the  key 
to  the  monument,  and  so  this  house  has  been 
occupied  by  different  people  till  the  Anna  \\'ar- 
ner  Bailey  Chapter  took  charge  in  1894. 

The  next  meeting  after  the  formal  opening 
was  held  at  Mrs.  Slocomb's  and  the  society, 
through  the  treasurer,  Miss  ?iIorgan,  presented 
our  Regent  with  a  jewelled  badge,  representing 
the  symbolical  spinning  wheel,  made  of  blue  en- 
amel with  a  diamond  in  the  center  and  in  the 
end  of  each  of  the  thirteen  spokes.     It  is  need- 


vmrm.fi'- '-'Ttf^ 


MONUMENT  AND  M()NT"MENT  HOUSE 


bonfires  lighted  the  I'ld  fort.  This  was  indeed 
a  gala  day  long  to  be  reniembercd.  ^^'e  scarcely 
thought  the  day  was  so  near  when  tliis  house 
would  be  enlarged  and  rededicated  to  accom- 
modate the  growth  and  gifts  of  the  patriotic 
]niblic.  The  early  history  of  this  stone  house  is 
interesting  as  we  note  it  was  built  from  stone  un- 
fit for  the  monument  and  has  been  usetl  as  a 
janitor's  home  since  1831,  first  by  John  Benhani, 
who  later  purchased  the  large  I'.enham  farm  of 
today.  In  184'^,  the  hislnrian  Lossing,  relates, 
"That   he   crossed    the    Thames   and   visited    ?ilt. 


less  to  say  that  Mrs.  Slocomb  responded  feel- 
ingly and  fittingly  and  then  mentioned  in  her 
yearl\-  report  that  she  had  secured  seven  nation- 
al members  for  a  Louisiana  chapter  and  nominat- 
etl  a  friend  as  Regent,  to  represent  them  in 
Congress. 

In  the  glorious  month  of  (October  our  Regent, 
at  her  home,  gave  a  reception  to  the  State  Re- 
gent, Mrs.  DeB.  Randolph  Keim.  She  was  as- 
sisted in  receiving  by  onr  officers  and  members. 
Slierry  of  New  York  catered,  serving  refresh- 
ments emblematic  of  the  occasion.     Ices  in  the 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


37 


form  of  cannon  and  bombs,  and  cakes  and  tiny 
United  States  flags  were  in  abundance.  A  short 
time  after  Airs.  William  D.  Aloss  entertained  our 
Kegent  at  her  home  in  Westerly,  where  she  met 
a  number  of  Rhode  Island  ladies,  who  later  be- 
came members  of  our  chapter,  and  ever  since, 
one  meeting  yearly  is  held  at  Westerly  and 
Stonington,  always  well  sustained  by  the  meni- 
uers  at  home  and  from  Groton. 

In  June,  i8y5.  Airs.  Slocomb  was  chosen 
ciiairman  of  the  chapter  committee  and  pro- 
moter of  the  national  society  ^^{  the  Chihlren 
of  the  American  Revolution  and  formed  six 
local  societies  in  \'ew  London  County,  and 
one  in  Louisiana,  viz. :  1  honias  Starr  at  East- 
ern Point,  Thomas  Avery  at  Poquonnock, 
Jonathan  Brooks  at  New  London,  Col.  Led- 
yard  at  Groton,  William  Latham  (or  Powder 
Alonkeyj  at  Stonington,  Samuel  Ward  at 
Westerly,  and  Old  Glory  at  New  Orleans.  It 
would  require  pages  to  tell  of  all  the  work 
d.one  by  these  children  and  their  leaders,  of 
tablets  placed  upon  historic  houses  and  ob- 
jects, one  upon  the  Whitefield  tree  in  Stoning- 
ton in  front  of  the  home  of  Air.  and  Airs.  h\'r- 
nanck)  W  heeler,  and  again  honoring  White- 
field  by  placing  another  tablet  on  the  old 
brown  Barber  house  at  Center  Groton,  now 
(  wned  by  Percy  Colver,  where  Whitefield 
preached  in  1764.  Tablets  on  the  Ebenezer 
Avery  and  .\nna  \\  arner  Bailey  houses  in 
Groton,  a  stone  placed  with  ceremonies  at  the 
grave  of  Hulda  Hall  and  a  boulder  erected  at 
Daniel  Stanton's  grave  in  Stonington,  testify 
to  their  patriotic  ardor. 

I'.ut  to  return  to  our  work  in  the  Anna  War- 
ner Bailey  chapter,  of  which  there  is  enough 
to  fill  a  good-sized  book.  \\'e  find  at  the  regu- 
lar meetings,  much  business  concerning  by- 
laws and  amendments,  committees  named  for 
souvenir  china,  armorial  shields,  and  souvenir 
siher  bells,  representing  the  flannel  petticoat 
which  AI other  Bailey  gave  to  our  patriotic  an- 
ce.stors  to  make  wadding  for  their  guns  to  fire 
upon  the  English.  The  numerous  meetings 
of  the  Groton  Tea  Club  and  Xew  London 
Reading  Club  are  often  mentioned.  Clothing 
and  money  are  reported  sent  to  Airs.  Rose 
Hawthorne    Lathrop    for     her    hospital     work 


among  the  poor  in  Xew  York  city,  which  was 
very  gratefully  appreciated.  Improvement  of 
the  well  on  the  monument  grounds  was  made 
i)y  securing  the  old  well  curb  on  the  new  post 
office  site  in  Xew  London,  which  was  origi- 
nally owned  l:)y  Airs.  Slocomb's  great  grand- 
father, Capt.  Elisha  Hinman. 

In  1896  Airs.  Slocomb  was  chairman  of  the 
national  hymn  committee  and  made  an  ad- 
dress at  the  Continental  Congress  in  Wash- 
ington on  this  subject.  Later  Airs.  Clara  B. 
W  hitman  of  Groton  was  elected  regent,  and 
Airs.  Slocomb  was  appointed  chairman  of  the 
monument  house  connuittee. 

When  Airs.  Slocomb  found  need  of  a  flag  for 
decorative  purposes,  she  was  informed  that 
there  never  was  a  Connecticut  state  flag  es- 
tablished by  law.  Xone  of  the  flags  carried 
by  Connecticut  troops,  from  Colonial  days  to 
the  present  time,  was  ever  adopted  by  the 
(ieneral  Assembly,  though  there  were  thirty- 
fi\e  difi'erent  designs  e.xtant,  while  red,  blue 
_\ellow,  and  once  green  flags  were  used  to  dis- 
tmguish  Connecticut  troops.  (Jur  chapter 
submitted  several  designs  to  the  General  As- 
sembly for  a  legalized  state  flag.  Une  was  ap- 
1  roved,  which  is  made  of  blue  bunting  12  by 
18  feet.  It  has  the  state  shield  in  white,  bor- 
dered in  silver  and  gold,  and  the  old  colonial 
seal  of  three  clinging  grape  vines,  of  strength 
and  beauty,  wreathing  themselves  upward, 
freighted  with  full  fruitage,  and  said  to  be 
.symbolical  of  religion,  liberty  and  knowledge. 
Beneath  the  shield,  on  a  silvery  streamer,  in 
blue  letters,  bordered  with  brown  and  gold, 
we  read  our  state  motto.  Qui,  transtulet,  sus- 
tinet.  Translated,  He  who  hath  transplanted, 
will  sustain.  On  the  staff  was  attached  an  ex- 
quisite silver  presentation  plate,  suitably  in- 
scribed. 

This  flag  became  the  Connecticut  oflicial 
state  flag,  and  on  .Aug.  12th,  18(77,  was  pre- 
sented by  our  chapter  to  Governor  Lorrin  A. 
("ooke  at  the  capitol  in  Hartford,  and  shortly 
after  it  was  hoisted  on  the  stafif  to  the  peak  of 
the  Capitol's  dome,  where  it  was  saluted  by  the 
firing  of  thirteen  guns. 

On  .Aug.  iTith,  tihe  governoir  received  at 
Camp  Cooke  the  silk  flag  for  the  governors  of 


38 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


the  state,  from  our  chapter.  Senator  Lee  spoke 
of  the  thirteen  stripes,  representing  the  thir- 
teen original  states,  saying,  if  the  names 
should  be  written  upon  them,  Connecticut 
ought  to  have  her  name  at  the  head  of  the  list, 
becavise  of  her  nol:)le  history ;  for  during  the 
Revolutionary  war.  more  troops  were  raised 
from  Connecticut  than  from  any  other  state, 
with  one  exception,  and  durinL;-  the  Ci\il  war 
she  sent  about  55.000  soldiers  to  the  front. 


at  least  10.000  persons  were  present  and  it  was 
difficult  to  get  passage  across  the  Thames.  A 
company  called  "The  Ledyard  Volunteers," 
manned  the  fort,  and  in  the  line  of  march  were 
18  survivors  of  the  massacre,  some  showing 
scars  and  others  with  bullet  rent  garments. 
One  \'eteran  had  Iwd  holes  in  his  \'est  which 
were  made  nn  that  memorable  day  in  i7(Si 
when  he  escaped  death  fmm  the  bullets  In' 
ha\'ing  a  British  oflicer  stufl"  his  nii^lit  ca]i  into 


r()\NK(  Ticrr  statk  kl.\(; 


In  June.  1898,  Mrs.  Slocomb  was  one  of 
eight  Daughters  from  Connecticut  who  peti- 
tioned Congress  against  the  misuse  of  the  na- 
tional t^ag,  and  in  July  she  was  one  of  the 
New  London  and  W  indham  County  D.  .\.  K. 
relief  committee  for  collecting  and  forwarding 
contributions  to  our  LTnited  States  hospital  at 
Jacksonville,  Pda.,  during  the  Spanish-.\niericaii 
war.  Our  chapter  gave  in  money  and  mate- 
rials $135.  On  the  6th  of  September,  as  usual, 
a  fitting  celebration  was  observel  at  Groton, 
it  Ijeing  the  117th  anniversary  of  the  Ijattle, 
which  since  1825,  44  years  after  the  massacre, 
had  been  commemorated  in  some  proper-  man- 
ner. 

Subscriptions  were  taken  at  the  taverns  in 
Stonington,  Groton,  Preston  and  Xew  London 
to  defray  exijenses.  and  when  the  dav  arrived 


the  orifice  nf  the  wound.  These  men  nf  Rcvo- 
lutiiinar\'  (h'ns  inarched  with  ilignity  to  Fort 
(iriswokl,  where  1000  women  were  assembled, 
and  listened  tn  the  oration  1)\-  lion  William 
llrainerd.  Later  ( io\-.  W'olcott  was  placed  at 
the  head  of  a  committee  to  erect  a  monument 
to  the  honored  heroes  who  fell  there  in  1781. 
The  money  was  secured  by  a  lottery,  and  so 
this  monument  was  built  which  stands  there  in 
all  its  grandeur  to-day. 

.\nd  SI  I  on.  down  the  }'ears.  each  succeeding 
Se]it.  6th  lirings  with  it  some  fitting  celebra- 
tion, and  patriotic  hearts  take  up  willingly  the 
Work  of  keeping  green  the  memory  of  these 
brave  men  who  fell  at  this  spot.  ( )n  the  6th  of 
.^e])t.,  1808,  Hon.  r.enjamin  .Stark  read  a  paper, 
which  had  been  compiled  by  Miss  Mary  Ben- 
jamin, relative  to    the    laying    of    the    corner- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


39 


stone   of   the    Grotoii    nionunient.      Airs.    Sara 
Kinney   made   an   address   and   Mrs.    Slocomb 
presented  a  water  color  painting  of  the  new. 
state    flag    to    Battery    B,    First    Connecticut 
liea\'y  Artillery  \'olunteers. 

Jn  October,  1898,  Mrs.  Whitman,  on  account 
of  ill  health,  resigned,  and  Mrs.  Slocomb  once 
more  became  our  leader.  In  this  same 
month,  the  monument  house,  which  had  been 
closed  several  weeks  undergoing  repairs, 
amounting  in  cost  to  over  $800,  was  reopened 
amid  interesting  ceremonies.  A  sealed  bo.\  of 
records  was  buried  under  the  main  entrance, 
and  after  addresses  and  songs,  the  flagging 
was  placed  over  it. 

The  photographs  of  the  little  stone  house 
sold  well  to  its  many  \'isitors.  It  scarcely 
seems  possible,  but  in  the  summer  months  of 
two  years  10,000  persons  viewed  this  historic 
place.  The  chapter  has  distributed  many  val- 
uable, large  water  colors  and  artistic  coli>red 
photographs  of  the  flags  to  the  military  and 
various  libraries  and  societies  at  a  cost  of  $250. 
We  also  published  a  booklet  by  Miss  Benjamin 
on  local  histor}'. 

I'ixe  large  volumes,  given  by  Mrs.  Slocomb, 
were  filled  with  a  cartoon  history  of  the  Span- 
ish-.American  war,  prepared  1)_\'  (lur  historian, 
.Mrs.  Ira  Hart  Palmer  of  Stonington,  and 
sometime  after  Aliss  Emma  W.  Palmer  of 
Stonington  completed  a  numjjer  of  volumes 
of  cartoon  history  of  the  same  war.  The  C.  A. 
R.  did  a  large  amount  of  relief  work  during 
this  war  and  two  of  their  number  became  sol- 
diers of  Uncle  Sam. 

Our  chapter  was  honored  by  d  request  from 
Washington  to  have  its  work,  the  state  flag 
and  monument  house,  forwarded  as  a  report  to 
the  Smithsonian  Institution,  this  being  the 
first  report  including  D.  A.  R.  work,  published 
at  the  expense  of  the  government.  It  contained 
thirty  plates,  one  of  which  was  the  monument 
house. 

In  1899,  two  of  our  silk  flags  were  presented 
to  the  Third  Regiment  at  Camp  Lounsbur\' 
and  in  this  year,  plans  were  made  to  add  to  the 
monument  house,  a  large  hall,  47  by  ij  feet 
and  one-third  higher  than  the  present  building, 
to  be  called   the   Memorial   .\nnc\  in   memory 


of  our  heroic  dead  of  the  Spanish-American 
war,  the  first  monument  to  be  raised  in  the 
state  to  that  cause. 

At  this  time,  news  of  the  assassination  of 
King  Humbert  was  learned  with  feelings  of 
sorrow  by  the  world.  Our  chapter,  through 
the  kind  thought  of  Mrs.  Slocomb,  had  Tiffa- 
ny prepare  a  most  exquisite  and  appropriate 
memorial  album,  with  the  arms  of  Italy  and 
illuminated  lettering,  on  delicate  white  vellum, 
with  siher  and  gold  mountings,  containing 
parchment  leaves  to  be  inscribed  bv  the  offi- 
cers and  mend^ers  of  each  Connecticut  chap- 
ter, and  with  the  national  officers  also,  ex- 
pressing to  Queen  Margherita,  of  Italy,  the 
love  and  support  of  the  patriotic  American 
women.  The  volume  was  presented  by  the 
Countess  Di  Brazza,  who  was  granted  a  long 
and  delightful  audience  at  the  Queen's  court. 

Before  the  Queen's  reply  had  reached  us  our 
own  jjeloved  President  had  been  shot  and  was 
l_ving  wounded  unto  death.  (  )ur  chapter  sent  a 
letter  of  sympathy  to  Airs.  AIcKinley,  and 
later  upon  the  President's  death  extended  ap- 
propriate resolutions. 

Mrs.  Slocomb  made  many  appeals  to  Con- 
gress to  secure  the  protection  and  adornment 
of  the  old  forts,  those  important  relics  of  the 
.American  Revolution,  and  at  last  the  point 
was  gained.  Instead  of  selling  off  the  guns, 
ordnance  and  buildings  of  Fort  Criswold,  and 
then  dismantling  the  fort,  the  old  battleground 
was  converted  into  a  memorial  park  owned 
Ijy  the  State  of  Connecticut  and  in  care  of  our 
chapter.  All  the  guns,  eleven  cannon  and  pro- 
jectiles and  2000  cannon  balls  were  donated  to 
this  chapter  by  the  secretary  of  war,  to  deco- 
rate the  park. 

Through  the  hearty  co-operation  of  Miss 
May  \\'illiams  of  Xew  London  our  chapter  be- 
came the  custodians  of  one  of  Cncle  Sam's 
Spanish-American  war  trophies,  a  gun  from 
the  Admiral  Cervera's  flagship,  the  "Alarie 
Theresa,"  which  fired  the  first  shot  in  the  na- 
val battle  of  Santiago.  So  on  the  western  slope 
of  Groton  Monument  grounds  the  trophy  can- 
non was  mounted  on  its  carriage  on  a  substan- 
tial stone  foundation,  even  the  shield  which 
protected  it  on  the  flagship  being  sent  l)y  the 


40 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


goveninient.  On  June  17th,  1902,  a  great  cel- 
ebration was  held  in  Groton  by  the  Anna 
Warner  Bailey  chapter  and  their  friends. 
Capt.  Richard  P.  Hobson,  the  orator  of  the 
day,  was  escorted  by  detachments  of  the  va- 
rious local  national  organizations  to  Groton 
Heights,  where  the  day  proved  an  unqualified 
success,  from  the  planting  of  the  Constitution- 
al Oak,  by  little  Cassie  X.  Bailey,  to  the  un- 
veiling of  the  gun  which  Capt.  Hobson  des- 
ignated as  an  old  friend,  he  having  helped  to 
raise  it  from  the  deck  of  the  Theresa  after  the 
Ijattle    of    Santiago.      He    also    said    that    he 


Revolution  for  the  purpose  of  raising  money 
to  purchase  land  for  a  monument  park.  Later 
^Ir.  Morton  Plant  placed  there  a  fountain,  as 
a  memorial  to  Capt.  ^^'illiam  Latham,  who 
once  owned  the  land,  and  was  in  the  Revolu- 
tionary war  at  Groton    Heights. 

At  the  un\eiling  of  the  fountain  a  most  in- 
teresting historical  paper  on  the  subject  was 
written  and  read  by  Master  Joseph  A.  Copp. 

Some  months  after  work  for  the  Colonial 
Dames,  relative  to  descril)ing  the  old  Colonial 
houses,  was  taken  up  by  Miss  Emma  \V. 
Palmer.  Miss  Julia  Copp  and  myself. 


THK  MONIMKNT  HOISK 

would  "rather  lie  horn  a  citizen  nf  the  I'nited 
States  than  a  crown  ])rince  nf  the  proudest 
country  in  the  world." 

President  Roosevelt  also  having  taken  mucli 
personal  interest  in  sa\-ing  the  old  forts  to  our 
cha])ter,  a  \-ote  of  thanks  was  tendered  him 
with  a  gift  of  a  large  and  beautiful  basket  of 
red  peonies.   Mother   r>ailey's   favorite   flower. 

Shortly  after  this  our  regent  was  appointed 
a  member  of  the  site  committee,  regarding  the 
])roposed  Continental  Hall  to  be  built  at 
Washington,  D.  C,  and  she  had  the  honor  of 
selecting  the  accepted  location,  an  ideal  spot 
in  e\-er}'  respect  for  this  "Home  of  the  Daugh- 
ters," on  17th  St..  near  the  White  House. 

In  .\ugust  a  concert  was  gi\-en  under  the 
auspices  of  the  Daughters  and  Children  of  the 


Our  chapter  was  authorized  to  erect  a  me- 
morial annex  on  the  east  side  of  the  present 
monument  house,  and  a  committee  of  six  la- 
dies was  appointed  to  supervise  Fort  Gris- 
wold's  memorial  park.  The  necessary  $8,000 
lo  accom]ilish  this  task,  seemed  an  almost  im- 
possible amount  to  raise.  The  building  was 
designed  to  harmonize  with  the  old  house  and 
carried  on  to  successful  completion  with  eye- 
l>row  windows  and  a  Jonathan  Brooks  me- 
morial window  at  the  east.  Alcoves  and  fire- 
jiroof  rooms,  with  a  janitor's  room,  and  cases 
to  hold  and  protect  loaned  and  donated  an- 
ti(|ues,  were  designed  for  this  museum,  and 
much  of  the  furniture  was  given. 

In  Xoveniber,  1903,  l^irt  Griswold  which 
was  built  by  the  slate,  during  the  Re\-olution- 


HISTORIC  GROTON                                                                41 

ary  war  and  transferred  to  the   United  States  Sentiment  cnlniinated  in  a  grand  fair,  which 

in    1813,    now   again    became    the    property   of  netted  $260.  This,  though  a  great  lielp,  was  in- 

the  state.  Fort  Griswold  was  no  more.  Shortly  adequate,  and  when  in  October  Mrs.  \\'hitman 

after  the  C.  A.  R.  and  the  school  children  of  announced  to  the  chapter  that  the  remaining 

Groton  raised  a  flag  in  Fort  Griswold  Memo-  $2,000  had    been    given    by    Mr.    Morton    F. 

rial  Park,  the  exercises  being  attended  by  our  Plant,  great  was  our  rejoicing,  as  the  gift  was 

chapter,    .\fterward,  as  Mrs.  Slocomb's  health  entirely  spontaneous  and   unsolicited.  A   trib- 

niade  it   necessary  for  her  to  lay  aside  many  "t*^  o^  thanks  to  him  should  be  here  recorded 

duties,  she  tendered  her  resignation  as  regent  ''>'   ^^'^    ^"'^a    Warner   Bailey  chapter,  for  his 

and   Mrs.   Clara   B.    Whitman    was   elected   to  tl'""8httul    aid,    prompted    by    his    generous 


the  position,  which  she  tilled  most  acceptably. 
Mrs.   Whitman   began    her    work   by   asking 


heart  in   this  patriotic  work.      We  also  record 
another  gift  of  a  memorial  plate  of  l)lue  and 

white  china,  designed  bv  John  Tolcott  .Vdams, 

the  war  department  to  turn  over  to  the  rort  .        ,•   ^     ^      ,    '     , 

representmg  Col.  Ledvard. 

Griswold  Commission,  fiye  gun  carriages,  \i/.. :  w  -.i    .1  ■    1       1     r,-    '          ■     , 

^                  ^  \\  ith  this  load  oft  our  minds,  attention  was 

Four    barbette    carriages    for    8-inch    Rodman  ,i;r„„,„,i  ^^  ,-o;-;„,,    „ , ,       r       ^1              1            r 

f  directed  to  raising  money  for  the  purchase  of 

gun,   front   pindle,   and   one   barbette    carriage  .i,„  tr,,-»o  i.f~  „„    ^i,            ..      -1        r    .1       r     . 

"      '               '           ■                                                 '='  tne  tluee  lots  on    the    east    side    of    the    fort, 

for  20-pounder  rifle,  front  pindle.     They  were  „.i,;„i,    ,.„„,,,■,-..  1      -                      »        •  1     ..  \    i 

^                                      ••                         ■  wliicli    lequired    as   our   regent    said,      .\    long 

already  on  the  grounds  and  sodn  became  mir  ,,,,11    ,,  ..t,.„,,„  .^,,11  .,„  ,         ",,     n  ^       ^1       ••    »" 

•^  pi"l,  A  strong  pull  and  a  pull  all  together.    At 

property.  1^^,^  ^\^^  annex  was  entirely  completed  and  the 

In    1904   we    note    the    presentation    to    the  ,„„„.  anticipated  opening  day,  June  28th    1907 

State  of  Connecticut  of  a  turnstile  supported  arriyed,  bringing  sunshine  and  blue  skies    for 

l)y  cobble  pillars,  placed  in  the  north  wall  of  the  manv  guests,  who  came  to  d<^  honor    not 

the  lower  fort,  near  the  new  highway,  for  file  ,,„,,.  j,,  t,,^,  patriotic  dead,  but  to  the  patriotic 

perpetual    continuance   of  a   footpath    through  ,i,.i„j,._  ,,.,„,  ,^.^,1  ^^,,,^,.^,1  ^,_,  assiduously  for  he 

the  forts,  from  north  to  south.  A  handsomely  consummation  of  this  work. 

painte.l   sign    was  also   placed   at   the   foot   of  ,  ,„  _,,.,,^,  j^^^.^  „^^.^^  ^^,^,,^  j,^^,  ,,,,^,^^,^  j^^  ^^^^ 

School  street,  pointing  the  wa\  to  the   monu-  ,„i|    ,.,,,,     .],„.    .i,„    ;„f,,.-          r  ,1       1     -i  ,• 

'              '^                •  leii    \ou,   mat    tlie    interior   of  the   building   is 

'"^"'■'  \vcll  adapted  to  showing  the  relics.     The  roof 

Mrs.    Whitman    had    now    an    ardu.ms    task  j,   i,;^,^   ^,,,1   j,,^  ^,,,-,„^   ^^.^„  ji„.,^j^^,    ^,^^   ^^.^,,_^ 

upon  her  heart  and  hands,  to  raise  the  neces-  are   <lecorated   with    heraldic    shields   and   pic- 

sary   $8,000  and   to   bring  to   completion     the  tures  of  liistoric  meaning,  while  swor.ls    niili- 

work  of  the  new  annex,  together   with   many  j^ry    clothing   and    apparel    of    ye    olden    time 

other  calls   for  m.mey,  among   which  was  the  „iav   be   clearly   seen   in    their   Jases.      As  you 

Connecticut    column    in    Continental    Hall    at  enter   this   building,    you   see   our   state   motto 

Washington,  our  chapter  raising  about  $50  for  and  seal  on  the  eastern  wall  in  gilt  letters    be- 

this  object.  The  annual  Together  Meeting  of  tween  American  flags,  "He  who  transplanted 

the  Daughters  in  the  state  was  held  at  Groton  ^till  sustains,"  and  on  the  western  wall  is  the 

on  Oct.  nth,  1905,  this  day  being  memorable  seal  of  the  Daughters,  in   the  blue  and  silver 

as  the  birthday  of  the  national  society  and  the  colors  of  the  chapter  against  the  backoround 

birthday  ..f  our    patron    saint,    Anna    Warner  of  two  state  flags.     With  the  room  full  of  in- 

''^''''-^'-  teresting  objects  wdiere  shall  we  look  first?"  Be 

Our  members  gave  and  solicited,   while  the  sure  and  .see  the  three  pictures  of  Afother  l!ai- 

C.  A.   R.  presented  nearly  $1,000.  besides  the  ley  at  different  ages  and  the  portrait  of  .\bi- 

Jonathan    Brooks    window,    which    was   given  gail  Hinman.  Gaze  at  the  old  Averv  house  and 

l.y  the  New  London  C.  A.  R.  society.    The  lit-  Fbenezer   Avery's   historic   home.'   In   one   of 

tie  state  button  was  sold  to  those  who  wanted  the  brick  fireplaces,  see  the  andirons  and  crane 

it  and  to  those  who  ,lid  not  want  it.  yielding  a  which  once  belonged  to  Mrs.  P.ailev,  and,  lest 


large  return. 


I  weary  you.  go  am!  look  for  yourself. 


42 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


Our  regent,  Airs.  Clara  B.  \Miitman,  pre- 
sented the  house  to  the  state,  which  was  ac- 
cepted in  an  address  by  Gov.  Woodruff.  Af- 
terward Hon.  Jonathan  Trumbull  of  Norwich, 
"a  Son  of  the  Revolution,"  made  the  historical 
speech  of  the  day,  and  the  memorial  window 
was  unveiled.  America  was  sung  with  entlui- 
siasm  and  Groton's  place  in  history  was  again 
repeated.  Mrs.  Whitman  has  since  resigned  as 
regent  and  the  position  is  now  very  capabh' 
tilled  by  Airs.  Ida  Baker. 

All  you  who  read  this  book  should  hunt 
the  newspaper  files  of  the  last  fifteen 
years  and  read  of  Groton's  patriotic  days,  in- 
cluding the  anni\-crsaries  of  the  battle  of  Gro- 


ton  Heights,  when  our  chapter  keeps  open 
house,  at  the  new  memorial  annex  and  enter- 
tains hospitably  several  hundreds,  who 
view  the  new  room  and  the  many  interest- 
ing relics  with  admiring  eyes.  These  are  in- 
creasing daily  as  our  citizens  realize  that  here 
is  a  safe  deposit  for  their  treasures,  so  that 
the  remark  has  even  been  ventured  that  "oui 
memorial  house  is  not  yet  large  enough." 

We  see  in  mind  the  younger  generation,  fol- 
lowing in  the  footsteps  of  their  predecessors, 
by  rebuilding  and  rededicating  in  patriotic 
fervor,  as  members  of  the  Anna  \\'arner  Bai- 
ley chapter  of  Groton  and  Stonington. 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


43 


Center  Groton 


By  DAVID  A.  DABOLL 


[broken  and  narrow  valley,  split 
into  two  sections  by  a  central  for- 
est covered  ridge,  sloping  irregu- 
larly from  tiie  southern  Ijoriler  nf 
tlie  present  town  of  Ledyard  to 
the  Ijrcjad  and  open  plains  upon  the  sound, 
forms  what  may  be  called  the  middle  section 
of  the  Groton  of  to-da\'.  Its  western  half  is 
the  basin  of  a  river,  originally  much  greater 
in  volume  than  now,  whose  waters  long  fur- 
nished power  for  mills  of  various  kinds,  the 
wheels  of  which  have  mostly  ceased  to  turn, 
or  have  already  crumbled  back  to  dust.  In 
the  upper  part  of  the  valley,  in  the  shadow  of 
the  rocky  ridges  of  Candle  wood  Hill,  which 
here  forms  its  eastern  boundary,  lies  tiie  little 
village  whose  story  it  is  ours  to  tell.  X'alley 
and  plains,  river  and  village,  all  once  bore  the 
quaint  aboriginal  name  of  Poquonnock,  but  the 
river,  from  its  sources  to  tide  water,  became 
known  in  early  settlement  days  as  "The  Great 
Brook,"  a  title  which  has  been  perpetuated 
in  deed  and  record,  and  the  village,  after  hav- 
ing for  a  century  and  a  quarter  fulfilled  the 
conditions  which  entitled  it  to  its  later  name  of 
Center  Groton,  received  its  belated  christening 
as  such,  in  the  fine  irony  of  circumstance,  at 
a  date  when  the  reasons  for  it  were  passing  or 
had  already  passed  away. 

The  twentieth  centurj'  tourist,  consulting  his 
road  map  as  he  rolls  in  his  automobile  along 
its  quiet  street,  sees  little  in  its  relative  posi- 
tion and  still  less  in  its  appearance  to  justify 
its  name.  He  does  not  know  and  he  does  not 
stop  to  find  out.  that  when  the  town  of  Groton 
comprised  an  area  more  than  twice  as  large 
as  it  does  at  present,  this  spot  was,  approxi- 
mately speaking,  its  geographical  center:  and 
tliat  as  a  corallary  thereto  it  became  its  eccle- 
siastical, corporate,  and  educational  center. 
Two    highways    running    east    and    west    and 


n<irth  and  sduth  respectivel},  here  cross  one 
another  at  right  angles.  The  first  and  more 
im])(irtant  one  of  the  two  was,  long  before  the 
vvhite  invasion,  an  aboriginal  trail  worn  by  the 
feet  of  generations  of  savage  warriors,  anti 
leading  from  the  Xarragansett  country  to  the 
shores  of  the  Pequot  river,  now  the  Thames. 
The  second,  similar  in  its  origin,  led  from  the 
open  plain  around  the  sound  to  the  Alohegar. 
country  at  the  north.  Into  each  of  these  at 
various  distances,  branching  trails,  now  high- 
ways, converged. 

"Once  churches  had  towns :  now,  towns 
liave  churches."  In  this  brief  sentence,  from 
some  forgotten  essayist,  is  to  be  found  an  epi- 


OLIl  T.WEKN 

tome  of  the  reasons  for  the  rise  and  the  de- 
cline of  man}-  a  Xew  England  village,  which, 
like  this  one,  still  holds  its  place  on  the  map, 
although  in  the  expressixe  phrase  of  Renan  it 
may  have  long  "less  lixed  than  lasted."  Here 
at  the  crossing  of  the  highways,  then  hardly 
more  than  bridle  paths,  -by  means  of  which 
the  scattered  farmers  maintained  a  neighborlv 
intercourse  with  one  another,  the  founders  of 
Groton,  who  l)elie\-e(l  that  the  (inly  safe  path- 
wa}^  to  heaven  was  through  the  portals  of 
the  Established  Church,  reared  the  first  meet- 
ing house  in  the  town,  where  it  could  lie  most 
con\cnientl}'   reached  ])\-  the  majoritv.     Close 


44 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


hy  it  thev  built  the  ruder  sclidnl  house,  within  disturl)  the  ecclesiastical  monopoly  and  monot- 

whose  walls  no  matter  how  limited  the  curri-  ony,  and  vex  the  souls  of  those  who  believed  in 

culum    might   be,   the    discipline,    like    that    of  an  enduring  democratic  theocracy.    The  bonds 
the   church,  was  complete.     \\'ithin  a  stone's 


throw  of  the  two  was  the  dwelling  of  the  min- 
ister, whose  rates,  fixed  by  law,  were  to  be 
collected  from  beliex'ers  and  nul)elievers  alike, 
peaceabl}',  if  possible,  forcibly  if  necessary. 


which  held  church  and  state  together  grew 
weaker  and  weaker  and  finally  snapped  asun- 
der. 

Then  came  a  time  when  the  center  of  ortho- 
doxy in  the  town,  like  the  "Star  of  Empire," 


Thus  thev  established  an  ecclesiastical,  ed-  moved  westward,  and  the  church  at  Poquon- 

ucational    and    intellectual    center    which    was  nock,   no   longer   sustained   by   unwilling    tax- 

Hkewise   to   be   a   corporate    center,    since    the  payers,  moved  west  with  the  tide.     The  hope 

meeting  house  was    to    serve    as    town    Imuse  of  the  founders  was  a  vanished  dream  before 

also.     Doubtless,  viewing  the  situation   under  the  generation  that  succeeded  them  had  passed 

fading   seventeenth    century   lights,   they     ex-  over   to   the    silent    majority.      The   town    had 

pected  it  long  to  endure,  and  in  time  to  draw  churches  in  plenty,  but  the  church  no  longer 

unto  itself  the  elements  which  should  make  it  had  the  town. 


business  and  social   center  as  well.     Under 


l).\Ii(ll,l,  IKl.MKSTKAl) 


ift'erent  conditions,   with   a   dil^'erent  environ- 


That  the  site  of  the  place  was  a  clearing 
somewhat  greater  in  area  than  now,  and  culti- 
\'ated  in  savage  fashion  at  the  time  of  the 
white  invasion  is  a  matter  of  tradition  forti- 
fied b_\-  the  silent  testimony  of  relics  exhumed 
fiom  time  to  time  even  down  to  the  last  cen- 
tury. It  is  probable  that  the  few  wigwams 
scattered  along  the  principal  trail  went  uj)  in 
liame  during  the  morning  of  the  2(jth  of  May, 
1637,  a  few  hours  after  the  storming  of  the 
I'equot  fortress  on   M}-stic   llill. 

I'he  story  of  that  memorable  fight  is  told 
elsewhere,  but  a  reference  to  the  dramatic 
march  of  the  victors  from  the  scene  of  slaugh- 
ter and  victory  to  their  rendezvous  on  the 
Thames  is  permissible  here,  as  in  the  opinion 
(■f  the  writer,  the  tacit  assumption  by  historians 


ment,  all  this  might  have  been.  Here  and  there  that  the  route  taken  by  Captain  Mason  and  his 

in  Kew  England  such  an  one  still  lives  in  some-  party   was  in   an   almost   direct  course  to  the 

tiling  more  than  name,  with  its  stately  "Eirst  western  river  is  an  erroneous     one.       Of     the 

L'hurch"  gracing  the  spot  where  the  first  meet-  tl'ree  contemporaneous  accounts  of  the  expedi- 

ing   house    stood    in    Colonial   times;    with    its  tion,  l)ut  one,  that  of  Mason     himself,     gives 

school  house  grown  to  academic  or  e\en  col-  even  a  hint  upon  the  subject,  and  the  hint  so 


legiate  proportions;  connected  liy  UK^dern 
liiglnvays  of  iron  with  the  bustling,  hustling 
outer  world,  still  a  center  nf  intellectual,  social 
and  even  of  business  life. 

I'lUt  nut  in  tiiwns  like  Groton,  whose  growth 
e\en    in    its    earlier    days,    was    largely    along 


far  as  it  goes  helps  to  negative  the  popular 
assumption.  He  had  marched,  in  jjarts  of  two 
days,  a  distance  of  nearly  f(.irt\'-five  miles  over 
the  Narragansett  trail  already  mentioned,  and 
had  cmly  turned  aside  from  it  when  uitliin 
striking  distance  of  his  objective.     To  return 


other  than  agricultural  lines,  and  three-fourths  to  it  when  his  work  was  done,  and,  leaving  the 

of  whose  boundaries  were  washed  by  the  ocean  remaining  fortress  of  the  enem_\'  on  the  farther 

tides.     The  spirit  of  commercialism  arose  and  side  of  a  deep  valley,  to  efl^ect  his  retreat   (fur 

throve  by  the  shore.     "Dissenters"  came  in  to  ii   was   luithing   else)    along  the   line   of   least 


HISTORIC  GEO  TON 


4S 


resistance  to  his  base  of  supplies,  would  have 
been  the  dictate  of  militar_\-  reasoning  and 
common  sense.  Crippled  in  numbers,  encum- 
bered with  his  wounded,  his  provisions  ex- 
hausted, and  his  ammunition  nearly  so,  he  was 
obviously  in  no  condition  for  further  ofifensive 
operations.  He  was  guided  by  nati\'e  allies 
whose  loyalty  was  of  proof  and  to  wdiom  the 
whole  region  was  a  familiar  one.  Giving  him 
credit  for  those  qualities  of  leadership  which 
had  won  for  him  "golden  opinions'  from  his 
.-■"uperiors  in  other  campaigns,  the  writer  long 
ago  came  to  the  conclusion  that  his  line  of  re- 
treat that  morning  took  him  directly  past  the 
spot  where,  sixty-seven  years  later,  the  first 
church  in  Groton  was  erected. 

It  is  probable  that  the  valley  again  resound- 
ed to  the  tramp  of  armed  men  about  one  month 
later,  when  the  last  collected  force  of  the  Pe- 
quots  which  then  remained  in  the  \'icinity  was 
surrounded  and  captured  in  the  Pine  Swamp  a 
few  miles  to  the  north  by  Captain  Stoughton 
and  his  Massachusetts  troops.  Then  followed 
a  long  silence,  one  of  desolation  and  death. 
The  region  was  a  part  of  a  conquered  coun- 
try, over  which  two  colonies  were  to  contend 
for  the  right  of  eminent  domain,  and  the  con- 
ciucred  for  the  most  part  belonged  to  that 
quiet  class  which  a  later  authority  has  defined 
as  being  "the  only  good  Indians."  Eight  vears 
were  to  elapse  before  John  W'inthrop  the 
younger,  was  to  appear  w'ith  his  few  follow- 
ers on  the  western  shore  of  the  Thames. 

The  surviving  seventeenth  century  records 
of  Groton  are  to  be  found  in  the  archixes  of 
Xew  London,  of  which  it  remained  a  part  for 
sixty  years.  In  the  early  division  of  lands 
east  of  the  Thames  those  lying  in  and  around 
Center  Groton  are  unnoticed.  They  mostly  re- 
mained in  commons  until  Groton  attained  her 
corporate  independence.  So  far  as  we  know 
no  settler  made  his  home  there  until  near  the 
end  of  the  century.  Xor  is  it  easy  to  discrim- 
inate chronologically  lietwcen  the  \erv  few 
who  came  before  its  status  as  a  town  center 
was  fixed,  as  we  have  outlined  in  our  intro- 
duction, and  those  who  followed  soon  after. 
The  precise  date  at  which  \\'alter  Pjodington 
reared  his  cabin  one-third  of  a  mile  north  of  the 


cross  roads  remains  to  be  defined.  The  same 
may  be  said  of  Thomas  Dunbar,  land  trader, 
l;:\ern  keeper,  and  builder  and  operator  of 
Dunbar's  mill  on  the  Great  Brook  at  the  west, 
whose  "Big  House"  just  to  the  east  of  Boding- 
ton's  place  punctuates  the  later  records  here 
and  there.  But  in  the  decades  between  1660 
and  i6go  the  more  easily  accessible  and  more 
easily  tilled  if  not  more  fertile  lands  of  the 
town  were  not  being  neglected.  The  Smiths, 
the  A\-erys  and  the  Morgans  had  early  made 
tl'cir  homes  at  the  lower  end  of  the  Pocjuon- 
nuck  valley,  and  the  time  was  to  come  wdien 
the  descendants  of  the  first  two  were  to  be 
th.e  principal  citizens  and  land  holders  in  the 
locality  with  which  we  are  especially  con- 
cerned. 

Along  the  banks  of  the  Mystic  and  the 
Thames  and  in  the  more  distant  "Poquetan- 
nock  Grants,"  groups  of  sturdy  pioneers, 
\shose  names  are  of  familiar  memory  had 
cleared  and  were  cultivating  their  homestead 
acres.  They  were  town  builders  all ;  it  was 
an  era  when  race  suicide  was  unknown,  and 
r.tw  settlers  were  continually  coming  in  to 
inis'h  farther  into  the  interior  of  the  tract 
whose  periphery  only  was  as  }-et  dotted  with 
their  scattered  farms. 

It  is  not  to  be  forgotten  that  "the  church 
liad  the  town,"  that  the  absence  of  anv  one 
from  the  sanctuary  at  the  tap  of  the  sabbath 
drum  furnished  a  proper  subject  for  judicial 
i'lquiry;  and  that  in  extreme  cases,  even  the 
v.diipping  post  and  the  stocks  were  esteemed 
appliances  with  which  to  persuade  men  into 
ways  of  pleasantness  and  paths  of  peace. 

Small  wonder  that  as  the  century  drew  to  a 
close  the  desire  for  a  separate  and  more  con- 
\'enient  church  establishment,  fanned  by  un- 
reasonable and  e\'en  minatory  opposition, 
should  at  last,  like  the  "Spirit  of  Cathmor" 
be  "stalking  large,  a  gleaming  form."  There 
is  a  touch  of  grim  humor  in  the  petition  to  tlie 
Creneral  Court,  ignored,  denied,  and  renewed, 
for  the  prix-ilege  to  "imbodye  themselves  into 
church  estate,  in  order  to  the  comfortable  en- 
joyment of  the  ordinances  of  God."  The  meas- 
ure of  discomfort  involved  in  winter  trips  bv 
Inul   roads  antl   worse   ferries  to     the     fireless 


46 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


sanctuary  on  the  farther  side  of  the  Thames 
we  can  easily  comprehend;  and  to  many  of 
those  independent  farmers  there  was  an  added 
element  of  discomfort  in  the  autocratic  minis- 
trations of  the  Reverend  Gurdon  Saltonstall. 
A  stately  Puritan  of  the  Puritans,  an  aristo- 
crat to  his  finger  tips,  "who  felt  in  himself 
few  of  the  infirmities  of  humanity  and  was  in- 
tolerent  of  them  in  others;"  the  most  forceful 
character  of  his  day  and  generation,  he  was 
im fortunately  the  champion  of  the  worst  as 
well  as  the  best  elements  of  a  dying  ecclesias- 
tical S}-stem.  To  his  potent  influence  with 
the  General  Court  was  largely  due  the  failure 
of  the  various  prayers  for  a  separate  church  es- 
tablishment in  Groton  which  were  laid  before 


CEN'TEU  CIKIII'IIN   CHAPKI, 

it  between  1696  and  1703.  In  1700  the  lash  of 
discipline  was  applied  to  sundry  recalcitrants, 
who  dared  to  sign  their  names,  first  to  a 
"Complaint"  and  then  to  a  "Remonstrance" 
against  him  and  his  methods.  But  even  his 
eyes  must  have  discerned  at  last  the  physical 
if  WQiX  the  spiritual  necessity  of  the  case. 

In  1702  the  town  "consented"  by  vote  "that 
the  inhabitants  that  "dwell  on  the  east  side  of 
the  river  should  organize  a  church  and  have  a 
minister  of  their  own  at  an  annual  salary  of 
JQ  pounds  ;"  and  they  were  further  authorized 
111  build  a  meeting  house  thirty-five  feet  square 
at  the  joint  expense  of  both  sections. 

Large  bodies  move  slowly,  arid  Ijefore  the 
more  ponderous  one  at  New  IIa\'en  had  regis- 
tered its  conclusion  in  the  matter,  the  town 
had  voted  that   three  hundred  acres     of     the 


common  lands  should  be  sold  or  otherwise 
used  for  church  purposes,  and  the  dwellers 
east  of  the  river  had  called  as  their  minister 
the  Reverend  Ephraim  Woodbridge  of  Kil- 
Hngworth,  a  recent  Harvard  graduate,  and 
born  of  an  unbroken  line  of  clergymen  from 
the  days  of  Wyckliffe  down.  In  the  early 
spring  of  1703,  a  committee  appointed  for  the 
purpose  reported  a  sale  to  Thomas  Dunbar 
(alread)'  mentioned)  of  nineteen  acres  of  the 
public  lands  for  church  purposes.  The  lo- 
cation of  the  Meeting  House  was  determined 
as  we  have  seen,  and  the  clearing  at  Center 
Groton  soon  rang  with  the  sound  of  axe  and 
hammer  where  there  were  few  to  be  cheered 
or  disturbed   by   the   echoes. 

At    its   October   session    the    General    Court 
was  pleased  to  ratify  these  proceedings,  and  at 
tiie    May   session   of    1704,   also    solemnly    ap- 
proved of  an  addition  of  20  pounds  per  annum 
to  ^'Ir.  \\'oodbridge's  salary,  he  having  agreed 
to   build   his   own    house    without   further   call 
upon   the  taxpayers.     The  foundations  of  the 
house  were  probably  already  laid,  as  the  young 
tlivine    had   given   hostage   to    fortune    on    the 
fourth   day  of  the   same   month   by   marrying 
Miss  Hannah  Morgan,  daughter  of  one  of  the 
"complainants"  previously  disciplined  by  Sal- 
tonstall.     His    formal    ordination    in    the    new 
Meeting  House  took  place  on  the  eighth   day 
of  Xovendjer   following,    and    the    Church    at 
Poquonnock  was  ofificially  launched  upon  the 
ecclesiastical   sea.     Its  history  belongs  to  an- 
other pen   than   ours,   as   well   as   that   of  the 
rival   sect   whose  apostle   was  soon   to  apjjear 
upon    the    field,    and    whose    proselytes    were 
ere   long  to  outnumber  the     friends     of     the 
Standing  Order  and  overturn  the  system  upon 
which   the   latter  leaned   for  support :  but   the 
storv  of  Center   Groton   with   both   eliminated 
would   be   but  a   repetition  of  that  of  Hamlet 
with  Hamlet  left  out. 

(  )f  the  building,  which  for  more  than  sixty 
\ears  was  to  serve  the  community  as  church 
and  town  house,  no  detailed  description  has 
been  handed  down  to  us,  and  even  its  exact  site 
has  been  a  matter  of  some  question.  It  prob- 
ably stood  a  few  feet  to  the  east  of  the  now 
unused  store,  which  last  was  built  long  after 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


47 


the  demolition  of  the  church  in  early  Revolu- 
tionary time.  Its  dimensions  have  already 
been  alluded  to.  It  is  safe  to  assume  that  in 
its  construction  few  of  the  graces  of  archi- 
tecture were  involved  either  in  exterior  or  in- 
terior fittings.  It  was  a  square,  and  doubtless 
rather  ugly  looking  building,  without  chim- 
neys, with  entrances  on  its  southern  and  east- 
ern sides,  and  crowned  by  the  pyramidal  or 
hipped  roof  then  much  in  ^■ogue.  The  scanty 
floor  space  within  was  reinforced  by  galleries 
upon  three  sides,  the  pulpit  overhung  by  the 
inevitable  sounding  board  occupying  the 
fourth. 

The  dignitaries,  civil,  military  or  religioiis, 
who  could  afford  the  luxury,  were,  l)y  s]iecial 
vote,  accorded  space,  presumably  near  the 
puljHt  in  which  to  build  pews  for  them- 
selves and  families.  The  first  to  be  thus  hon- 
ored was  John  Davie,  the  first  town  clerk  of 
(Jroton.  The  allotment  of  seats  was  a  task  re- 
C|uiring  both  nerve  and  judgment  on  the  part 
of  the  committee  appointed  for  the  purpose, 
calling  as  it  did  for  an  appraisal  of  the  relative 
social  claims  of  the  worshippers.  I'.ut  the 
power  of  the  town  was  behind  the  committee, 
and  "being  so  seated"  the  claimants  wleTe 
warned  to  "remain  silent."  .\  like  divinity  no 
doubt  hedged  about  the  committee  of  one, 
who  was  charged  to  "take  care  of  the  youthe 
on  the  Lord's  day,  that  they  may  not  play." 

If  the  maxim  propounded  by  the  great 
I'"rench  philosoj^her  as  to  "the  nations  that  have 
no  history"  can  be  applied  to  churches,  the 
twenty  years  pastorate  of  the  Reverend  E])h- 
ri.im  W'oodbridge  was  doubtless  a  happy  one, 
as  no  records  of  it  are  known  to  exist.  The 
occasional  reference  to  him  in  the  civil  records 
touch  mostly  upon  the  very  worldly  matters 
of  life,  and  as  such  are  not  of  material  inter- 
est. He  seems  to  have  been  popular  always, 
tolerant  at  a  time  when  intolerance  was  the 
rule  with  the  Standing  Order  to  which  he  be- 
longed, in  short,  a  worthy  represcntati\e  of 
a  class  which  has  been  denominated  "the  moral 
and  religious  aristocracy  of  the  town."  ITn- 
like  his  successor  he  was  untroubled  bv  scru- 
ples concerning  the  minister's  rates,  nor  was 
he  hesitant  in  his  requisitions  for  what  at  this 


day  would  be  accounted  unwarrantable  favors. 
The  house  to  which  he  conveyed  his  bride, 
in  which  his  six  children  were  born,  and  in 
which  in  the  prime  of  his  years  he  died,  was 
constructed  by  him  of  materials  more  enduring 
than  those  of  the  Sa\'brook  Platform,  to  whose 
harsh  provisions  he  is  believed  to  have  accord- 
ed but  a  tacit  assent. 

After  his  death  in  1725,  the  house  became 
the  property  of  his  successor  in  the  minis- 
terial office,  the  Rexerend  John  ()wen  who  was 
like  himself  a  Harvard  graduate;  a  character 
beloved  of  all,  whose  epitaph,  "God's  faithful 
seer"  seems  to  have  been  but  a  just  recogni- 
tion of  the  merits  of  an  unusually  worthy  man. 
Mr.  Owen  was  ordained  in  1727  and  died  in 
1753-  The  Reverend  Jonathan  Barber  the 
third  and  last  minister  at  Center  Groton  be- 
came its  purchaser  in  1762.  four  years  after 
his  ordination.  .\  Yale  graduate,  a  man  not 
iMily  of  liberal  education  but  <.)f  liberal  ten- 
dencies as  well,  widely  known  in  the  land  as 
missionary  and  reformer,  and  the  close  friend 
and  ally  of  W'hitefield.  the  traditions  of  more 
than  half  a  century  were  pro])erly  sustained 
when  he  took  up  his  abode  under  its  generous 
roof  tree. 

Whitefield  visited  the  ])lace  in  the  summer 
of  1763,  and  the  spacious  grounds  of  the  par- 
sonage were  thronged  by  a  congregation  which 
no  church  in  the  colony  could  ha\'e  accom- 
modated, who  came  from  far  and  near  to  listen 
to  the  greatest  pulpit  orator  of  the  century.  Mr. 
r.arber  was,  in  the  melanchol_\-  words  of  the 
church  records,  "taken  from  his  usefulness"  in 
1765.  but  dwelt  under  its  roof  until  his  death 
in  1783,  and  it  remained  in  possession  of  his 
descendants  for  nearly  half  a  century  longer. 
A  parsonage  for  over  sixty  years,  it  has  since 
been  b)^  turns  inn  and  farm  house,  and  in  the 
third  century  of  its  usefulness  it  serves  in  the 
latter  capacity  to-da}-,  a  visible  link  between 
the  old  times  and  the  new. 

Groton  became  an  independent  township  in 
the  year  1705,  and  the  first  town  meeting  was 
held  at  the  center  in  December  of  that  year. 
(  )n  May  28th,  1706,  at  a  similar  gathering  the 
crude  foundations  of  an  educational  .system 
were    laid    by   the    appointment    of    '\\x.    John 


48 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


Harnard  to  be  "town  schoolmaster."  A  tract 
cf  t*n  acres  of  land  "northward  of  the  j\Ieet- 
ing  House"  was  ordered  to  be  laid  out  for 
school  purposes,  and  a  "convenient  dwelling 
house  sixteen  feet  square"  to  be  built  thereon  ; 
"the  house  and  land  to  be  the  town's,  the  ben- 
efit to  be  for  the  school."  Subsidies  might  be, 
and  were  freely  voted  to  clergymen,  but  ni.it  to 
schoolmasters.  On  the  nth  day  of  Septem- 
l)er  following,  as  the  result  of  a  deal  with  the 
ubiquitous  Thomas  Dunbar,  the  vote  was  re- 
scinded and  ten  acres  "south  of  the  Meeting 
House"  substituted.  Yet  the  traditions  are  to 
the  effect  that  the  house  and  lot  soon  after 
occupied  and  improved  by  Mr.  Barnard,  as 
well  as  the  school  house  later  erected,  were 
located   in   accordance   with  the  original   vote. 


SCHUOLHOrSK 

and  so   far   as  the   school   house   is  concerned 
the  tradition  is  certainly  correct. 

The  school  master  served  the  town  in  a 
peripatetic  capacity,  for  as  then  cinistituted 
it  covered  an  area  of  more  than  seventy  square 
miles,  and  to  Iniild  a  schoolhouse  in  each  of 
the  five  sections  into  which  it  was  divided  for 
educational  purposes  would  have  been  an  un- 
heard of  extravagance.  The  sessions  in  the 
central  section  were  held  either  at  "the  con- 
venient dwelling  sixteen  feet  square"  or  at 
the  Meeting  House  for  a  time,  and  the  others 
at  the  houses  of  well  to  dn  citizens  elsewhere. 
r.  six  months  sessinn  being  in  turn  allotted  to 
each  locality.  Mr.  Barnard  retained  his  posi- 
tion until  1712.  when  his  name  disappears  from 
tlie  records.  Little  is  known  of  him.  Init  lie 
was  probabl}'  a  descendant  of  the  Barnards  of 
Andover,   and   it   is   a   fair   inference   that   the 


minister  was  his  friend  and  sponsor.  During 
his  incumbency  "Mistress  Barnard"  swept  the 
Meeting  House  and  kept  the  key,  receiving  for 
her  services  the  sum  of  20  shillings  per  annum. 
It  is  difficult  to  estimate  even  approximately 
the  compensation  received  by  this  educational 
pioneer  for  his  weary  round  of  services,  but 
it  was  undLiubtedly  a  meager  one,  in  keeping 
with  the  times.  A  comparison  with  the  lil:)eral 
allowances  made  to  the  minister  is  naturally 
suggested,  but  we  forbear. 

The  date  of  the  erection  of  the  first  school- 
house  which  was  situated  a  short  distance 
to  the  north  of  the  Meeting  House  is  uncer- 
tain, as  is  that  of  its  demolition.  It  lasted 
iiowever  till  the  beginning  of  the  nineteenth 
century.  The  last  to  teach  within  its  walls 
was  the  grandfather  of  the  writer,  who  dis- 
missed his  class  rather  al:)ruptly  one  morning, 
when  he  found  that  the  big  stone  chimney  had 
tdllapsed  during  the  night,  completely  wreck- 
ing the  alread}-  dilapidated  building.  So  far 
as  known  there  is  no  reference  in  the  records 
to  the  construction  of  its  successor,  which 
was  placed  at  the  foot  of  the  gentle  eminence 
known  as  Schoolhouse  Hill  on  the  west.  It  did 
ilutv  for  at  least  three  quarters  of  a  century, 
and  as  late  as  1820  the  attendance  there  was 
as  great  as  in  any  district  in  town.  A  new  and 
modern  building  placed  near  the  chapel  at  tlie 
east,  succeeiled  it  in  1883.  but  the  old  one. 
converted  into  a  dwelling,  still  survi\-es. 

Save  in  the  periods  of  excitement  which 
stirred  the  religious  field,  the  histnr_\-  of  Center 
( Iroton  from  its  settlement  down  to  the  Rev- 
olution epoch  is  an  uneventful  one.  Another 
pen  not  less  sympathetic  than  ours  has  else- 
wiiere  traced  the  rise  and  progress  of  the  move- 
ment tending  to  church  reform,  which  was  be- 
gun in  1705,  by  the  Reverend  \'alentine 
\\ightman,  and  we  pass  on  with  the  remark 
that  the  leaven  of  religious  liberty  was  so  thor- 
oughly disseminated  by  the  great  e\angelist 
that  when,  long  after,  the  new  constitution 
(if  C'onnecticut.  which  formally  divorced 
church  and  state,  and  buried  out  of  sight  an 
a!read\-  defunct  system  of  ]iari>^h  desi)otism, 
v\as  submitted  to  the  people,  (Iroton  cast  a 
unanimous  vote  in  its  favor.     Of  the  ultimate 


HISTORIC  GROrON 


49 


elTect  of  the  movement  on  the  fortunes  of  the 
village  we  have  spoken  in  our  introduction. 

The  division  of  the  town,  in  1725,  into  two 
ecclesiastical  societies,  the  northern  one  corre- 
sponding to  the  present  town  of  Ledyard  was 
another  blow  at  its  prestige  as  a  town  center. 
In  the  tempestuous  revival  period,  historically 
known  as  the  Great  Awakening,  and  continued 
in  an  intermittent  way  from  1741  to  1744,  the 
two  great  leaders  of  the  movement  Parsons 
and  Da\enport,  preached  there  to  open  air  con- 
gregations great  in  numbers,  considering  the 
widely  distributed  population  from  which  they 
were  drawn. 

Between  1720  and  1740  there  was  brisk  land 
trading  in  which  the  Avery  family,  moving  up 
from  the  lower  Poquonnock  valley  along  the 
Great  Brook  on  the  west,  and  the  Smiths  from 
the  eastern  shore  of  Poquonnock  Lake,  large- 
ly participated.  Conspicuous  in  these  deals 
were  Thomas  Dunbar  and  Samuel  Cunning- 
ham who  were  among  the  earliest  residents 
in  the  place.  Samuel  Daboll  from  East  Hamp- 
ton, Long  Island,  became  a  resident  in  1715. 
Joseph  Belton  came  from  Xew^port  about  1725 
and  commenced  buying  upon  a  liberal  scale, 
establishing  his  home  near  the  foot  of  Candle- 
wood  Hill  on  the  northern  side  of  the  post 
road.  Scarcely  a  trace  of  its  site  now  remains. 
Later  his  son,  Jonas  Belton,  erected  the  Belton 
Tavern  in  the  clearing  a  half  mile  west  of  the 
corners,  a  building  which  was  one  of  the  land 
marks  of  the  region  for  generations,  and  finally 
jierished  1)_\-  the  torch  of  an  incendiary  in 
1852. 

Houses,  mostly  of  small  dimensions,  arose 
on  every  hand  in  the  suburbs,  of  which  none 
are  left  and  the  names  of  the  occupants  even 
are  no  longer  familiar.  At  the  time  of  great- 
est expansion  the  smoke  of  nearlv  a  dozen 
chimneys  ascended  from  as  manv  clearings 
amid  the  woods  of  Candlewood  Hill.  The  for- 
est lias  for  the  most  part  reclaimed  its  own, 
and  even  the  deer  has  returned  to  browse  by 
the  springs  whose  once  generous  flow  was  the 
]M-ime  attraction  to  the  sturd}-  pioneer. 

The  Meeting  House  ceased  to  be  used  for 
church  purposes  in  the  year  1768.  It  was  taken 
down  at  the  beginning  of  the  Revolution,  and 


a  few  of  its  interior  panels  used  in  the  con- 
struction of  the  dwelling  of  Charles  Smith, 
now  the  Daboll  homestead,  are  all  that  reiiiain 
of  it  to-day.  With  the  exception  of  the  vener- 
able parsonage,  whose  history  we  have  al- 
ready traced,  the  latter  is  now  the  oldest  house 
ill  the  place.  It  was  purchased  in  1805  by 
"Master  Nathan"  Daboll  of  Sergeant  Rufus 
Avery  of  Fort  Griswold  fame,  and  is  a  house 
of  many  memories. 

"blaster  Daboll"  whose  name  is  linked  in 
the  educational  annals  of  the  country  with 
those  of  Xoah  Webster  and  Lindley  ]\Iurray, 
was  born  a  few  hundred  yards  to  the  north 
and  had  received  a  part  of  his  early  education 
at  the  hands  of  the  Reverend  Jonathan  Barber, 
but  in  the  mathematical  field  in  which  his  rep- 
utation was  acquired,  was  a  self  taught  man. 
He  was  fifty-five  years  of  age  when  he  settled 
down  in  the  home  wdiich  was  to  shelter  him  in 
his  later  blindness,  but  his  famous  Navigation 
School  was  continued  under  its  roof  by  himself 
and  his  son  Nathan,  and  in  an  intermittent 
fashion  by  his  grandson  also.  The  Almanac 
issues,  begun  by  him  in  1773,  have  regularly 
gone  forth  from  its  office  now  for  one  hundred 
and  four  years.  Of  other  associations  we  may 
later  speak. 

The  opening  of  the  Revolutionary  period 
found  the  place  shorn  of  the  most  of  the  promi- 
nence thrust  upon  it  at  the  beginning.  Equi- 
distant between  the  church  departed  on  the 
west,  and  the  already  veneraljle  Eiaptist  Meet- 
ing House  on  the  east,  it  was  an  ecclesiastical 
center  no  longer.  Nor  was  it  a  political  center 
unless  the  occasional  meetings  of  the  town 
fathers  at  Belton's  tavern  had  served  to  keep 
its  title  clear.  The  town  had  been  formally 
divided  into  school  districts  in  1770,  of  which 
it  was  the  first  in  number.  In  point  of  attend- 
ance it  was  also  the  first,  but  there  was  no  edu- 
cational center  now.  It  was,  in  appearance,  as 
'X  ahva\s  has  been,  a  straggling  village,  but  the 
many  suburban  homes  of  wdiich  we  have 
spoken  probably  swelled  its  po]nilation  to  a 
number  greatly  in  excess  of  the  present  one. 

No  post  office  was  established  anywdiere  in 
the  town  until  the  }ear  1812.  Correspondence 
was  a  luxur}-  indulged  in  by  few.     The  post- 


5° 


HISTORIC   G HO  TON 


man  rode,  and  the  lumbering  stages  jolted  at 
long  intervals  over  what  was  now  the  King's 
Highway,  and  tired  travellers  refreshed  them- 
selves at  the  tavern  where  "Xews  much  older 
than  the  ale  went  round." 

Some  of  the  young  men  were  early  at  the 
front  in  the  battle  for  lifierty.  one  or  two  of 
them  to  remain  there  until  the  last  gun  was 
fired,  but  it  was  not  till  near  the  end  of  the 
strife  that  its  blii(i(l\-  spray  was  dashed  into 
the  \erv  midst  nf  the  hamlet.  In  the  battle 
ami  massacre  at  I'ort  (iri>\\(ild  on  the  si-xth 
of  Septend)er,  1 781,  the  town  of  droton  l(_)St 
more  of  her  sons  in  one  day  than  in  all  the 
other  vears  of  the  war  put  Ingcther:  and  to 
the  list  of  \iclims  Center  (initnii  contributed 
her  full  share.  C)f  seven  persons  who  an- 
swered to  the  alarm  i>uns  on  that  fateful  morn- 


l^'^^^r  Eh 

i^i^^ 

W^lk 

/j 

■H^nQ^    k  -'V  '■F^SnT^'  «#  jmH 

Mz*>(^R                   ^^^^1 

■H 

^Ei 

HH^Bf  "MaT^^^^H 

^ 

fli:- 

■^^^^-^■- 

THK   OLD   HARBKl;    HOTSE 
WIuTo  AN'hitftield  I'veaclieil 

irig,  but  one  escaped  unhurt,  and  that  one  was 
carried  away  to  face  the  dangers  of  disease  and 
star\-ation  on  a  prisi>n  ship  at  New  York. 

The  oldest  victim  of  the  butchery,  James 
Comstock.  seventy-five  years  of  age.  was  a 
\isitor  at  the  home  of  his  son-in-law.  Xathan- 
iel  Adams.  Jr..  at  the  foot  nf  Candlewood  Hill. 
The  two  went  forth  together,  died  together, 
and  in  the  bitter  chaos  which  followed  were 
burietl  in  a  common  gra\e  U])i)n  the  farther 
side  of  the  Thames.  The  laurels  belonging  to 
the  younger  of  the  two  have  been  for  genera- 
tions mistakenly  laiil  upmi  the  grave  of  Na- 
thaniel .\dams,  ."^eniur.  who  took  no  part  in 
the  battle,  and  who  was  buried  years  after- 
wards among  the  (iungywamp  hills. 


Corporal  Edward  Mills  answered  the  sum- 
mons from  what  is  now  known  as  the  "Brown 
[■"arm"  in  the  woods  beyond  the  Great  Brook 
northwest  of  Belton's  tavern.  Brave  Anna 
Warner,  his  foster  daughter,  (the  Mother 
Bailc}'  of  later  stiir}- ) .  hurraing  tn  the  fort  the 
ne.xt  morning,  found  him  still  living,  and  re- 
turning to  their  stricken  hume,  1)rought  his 
wife  to  his  side  to  see  him  die.  Peter  .\\-ery. 
aged  seventeen,  sallied  forth  frmn  Belton's 
la\ern,  jirobably  accompan_\-ing  Lieutenant 
larkc  .\\ery,  Jr..  who  took  with  him  aNd  his 
son.  Thomas,  another  boy  of  se\enleen  from 
their  home  at  Dunbar's  Mill  on  (Ireat  llrook 
at  the  west.  The  son  earl\-  in  the  acliim  was 
slain  at  hi.s  father's  side^  the  lieutenant  horri- 
bly mangled  and  disfigured  b\'  British  bayo- 
nets, sur\i\-ed  his  wounds  for  forty  years  to  die 
finalK'  in  the  original  .\.\ery  home  on  l'o(|uon- 
ncick  I'lains.  The  boy  I'eter,  taken  prisoner  re- 
turned frnm  the  hell  of  the  ])rison  ship,  lived 
lung  at  the  lielton  place  an  active  farmer  and 
trader,  and  ended  his  days  in  1S45  in  the  fam- 
ous old  house  east  of  Candlewnod  Ilill  long 
known  as  the  "llarry  Xiles  Tavern"  and  cele- 
brated as  the  scene  of  later  "training"  and 
barbecue. 

John  l)alioll.  Jr.  (whose  naiue  is  more  or 
less  confounded  with  that  of  another  John,  a 
brother  of  Master  Nathan,  who  served  in  the 
Continental  army  from  1776  until  it  was  final- 
ly disbanded),  resided  a  few  hundred  yards^ 
west  of  the  Great  Brook.  \\'ounded  in  the  l.)at- 
tle  he  was  saved  from  death  in  the  massacre 
through  the  humane  intervention  of  a  Tiritish 
officer  whom  he  was  wont  to  describe  in  his 
old  age  as  "The  handsomest  man  I  ever  saw." 
"Squire  John"  was  a  familiar  figure  in  churcli 
and  town  aft'airs  for  forty-four  years  after- 
wards. 

Our  sketch,  already  too  extended,  must  has- 
ten to  its  close.  I'rom  the  Revolution  down  to 
the  present,  occasional  happenings,  not  at  all 
exciting  in  their  character,  attract  the  atten- 
tion of  the  annalist.  The  principal,  and  fir  a 
time  the  only  pli_\sician  of  any  note  in  the 
town,  made  Center  Groton  his  home  earl_\-  in 
the  nineteenth  centur\-.  and  the  house  1)uilt  by 
him  at  the  junction  of  the  Ledvard  and  (iale's 


HISTORIC  GROTON                                                                51 

r'erry    roads    is    still    one    of    its    landmarks,  changed  its  title  only  after  the  elder  Poqiion- 

though  no  one  of  his  name  has  dwelt  in  it   f(ir  nock  had  had  a  dozen  years  in   which  to  get 

more   than   half   a   century.      Dr.   John    Owen  accustomed   to   the    modern    name,    which    for 

Miner,  grandson  of  the  Ive\-.  John  Owen  of  be-  convenience    we   have   applied   to   it    from   the 

linked  memory,  was  a  well  known  figure  in  his  beginning  of  this  narrative, 

clay  and  generation.  The    opening   of   the    Providence    and    New 

About    the    beginning    nf    the    century    the  London  turnpike,  begun  in  1818,  made  Center 

llale_\-  homestead  at  the  corners  was  built  by  (iroton  a  way  station  upon  a  busy  stage  thor- 

Kussell   Smith.     It  was   long  an  inn   before   it  oughfare,  and  the  building  in  the  same  rear  of 

was  purchased  liy  the  Hon.  Elisha  Haley,  an-  the  first  woolen  mill  in  the  town  on  the  site  of 

other   i)rominent   citizen,    wlm   was   bnth   pdli-  Dunbar's    Mill,   by   the    corporation    kmiwn   as 

tician  and  man  of  affairs  for  forty  odd  years.  the   Groton   Manufacturing  Co.,  attracted   nu- 

"Master  Xathan"  Daboll  died  at  the  home-  merous  operatives,  who  recruited  its  d win- 
stead  in  iSiS.  Three  years  later  his  son  Xa-  dling  suburban  population  and  revived  to 
than,  uhii  was  all  his  life  a  man  of  aft'airs.  was  some  extent  its  waning  trade.  The  mill  diil 
elected  town  clerk  of  (iroton.  From  1821  to  a  thriving  business  for  many  \-ears,  Init  shut 
1837,  the  town  records  were  kept  in  his  office  down  in  the  aftermath  of  the  panic  of  1837,  and 
and  frcim  1839  tn  1843  the  probate  records  as  v.as  destroyed  by  fire  a  few  months  later, 
well,  during  his  incundiency,  first  as  clerk  and  The  post  office,  after  nearlv  seventy  vears 
l;;ter  as  judge.  lie  also  served  in  both  of  varying  activity,  was  finally  discontinued 
Ijranclies  of  the  legislature  as  did  his  son,  on  the  first  day  of  Xo\-ember,  1902.  Two  in- 
David  A.  Daboll  of  honored  memory.  "Scpiire  tersecting  rural  free  delivery  routes  serve  to 
Xathan"  died  in  the  old  homestead  in  1863,  keep  the  inhabitants  of  the  village  in  touch 
and  his  son  in  1895.  with   the  outside   world.      The   telephone   like- 

I'"or  a  time  the  lost  prestige  of  Center  Gro-  wise   cheers    its   solitude,   but   the   troUev   has 

ton   as   a   political   center  seemed   likely   to   be  jia.ssed  it  by.     The  state  is  doing  its  best  for 

renewed.      I'.ut  an  attempt  in   1831)  to  secure  it  it  by    making    of    the    long    defunct    turnpike, 

through  the  erection  of  a  town  honse  near  the  whose    traffic    was    diverted    l)v    railroad    and 

site    of    the    meeting    house    of    colonial    days,  steamboat   more   than    fift^'   \'ears   ago,   a    finer 

was   unsuccessful,   and   the    setting   ofl:    of   the  highwa_\-     than     the     original     projectors    e\er 

Second  Society  as  the  town  of  Ledyard  in  the  dreamed  of.     Its  neat  and  commodious  chapel 

hamc  year  left  it  no  longer  e\-en  a  geographi-  suggests  that  the   sjiiritual   interests  in   wdiose 

cal  center.     This  was  three  years  after  it  had  behalf  it  was  foiuided  over  two  hundred  years 

recei\-ed   its  belated  christening  l)y  the   estab-  ago,  are   in   nowise   neglected.      It   is   not,   like 

lishment   of  its  post   office   on   the   thirtieth  of  the  "Sweet  Auburn"  of  ( ioldsmith's  melodious 

January,    1833.    with    tiilbert    A.    Smith   as    its  numbers,    a    "Deserted    Village:"    but    one    of 

first  [jostmaster.  ^iiuilar  memories,  born  upon  the  threshold  of 

Incidentally   we  remark  that   the  post  office  a    \anishing   era;    which    for   obxious    reasons 

i!ow    known    as    Poquonnock     riridge.    dating  has   been    unable   to   keep   ])ace    with    an    e\er 

Irom     1841,    was    first    called    "Peciuot,"    and  hurrying  procession. 


HISTORIC  GKOTON 


Poquonnoc  Bridge 


By  MRS.  CYRUS  AVERY  and  REV.  O.  G.  BUDDINGTON 


111"',  \illa,L;c'  I  if  roquunnuck  IJridge 
is  \ery  pleasantly  situated  in  the 
southern  part  of  the  town  of  (Pro- 
ton, about  two  miles  east  of  the 
Groton  and  New  Lnndmi  ferry,  at 
the  head  of  the  river  bearing  its  name.  The 
river  connects  it  with  the  waters  of  I'isher's 
Island  Siiund,  ahuul  twci  miles  distant.  This 
siream  with  its  natural  beaut}-,  and  with  ils 
facilitv  for  transportation,  makes  a  UK.ist  de- 
sirable location  fnr  the  xilla.^e.  .Vdded  to  this 
the  (Irdtdii  and  .Su  iiiinj;tnn  Trolley  Co.'s  line 
running  directly  through  the  village,  and  the 
station  of  the  Xew  York,  New  Haven  &  Hart- 
ford railroad  lea^"e  nothing  mure  to  be  desired 


St'HOOLHorSE 
Oldest  in  Town 

for  transportation  facilities.  The  population 
consists  of  about  one  hundred  families,  for  the 
most  part  consisting  of  resident,  English 
speaking  people,  there  being  but  an  exceeding- 
ly small  per  cent  of  foreign  element,  ofifering 
a  most  favorable  contrast  to  the  modern  Xew 
England  village. 

.\s  far  as  can  be  ascertained  the  first  settlers 
ii;  what  is  now  the  village  of  Poquonnock 
came  from  New  London  in  the  year  about 
1652-53.  About  this  time  Mr.  James  Morgan 
occupied   a   grant   of   land   and   built   a   house 


on  a  site  near  the  ^-illage  and  near  a  house 
built  later  which  has  successively  passed 
tlirough  si.x  generations  of  James  ^Morgans. 
.\l)(_)Ut  the  same  date  Nehemiah  Smith  came 
fi'iim  Xew  I.I  null  in,  and  built  on  what  is  now 
known  as  the  Smith  homestead,  near  Smith's 
lake.  This  house  was  destroyed  by  fire  dur- 
irig  the  Rexolntionary  war,  and  a  great  grauil- 
son  at  a  later  date  built  over  the  cellar  of  the 
former  building,  and  this  house  is  standing  at 
the  present  time  and  is  occupied  by  descend- 
ants of  the  family.  Smith's  Lake,  and  Smith's 
cemetery  are  familiar  sites  and  date  back  to 
those  days  of  long  ago. 

About  the  same  date  of  1652-53  James  .\very 
was  granted  land  situated  west  of  the  village 
and  built  what  has  been  known  as  "The  Hive 
of  The  Averys."  The  central  portion  of  the 
house  with  later  additions  stood  for  above  250 
years,  being  destroyed  by  fire  Jul\-  ,^oth,  1894. 
This  interesting  building  was  a  land  mark  for 
generations,  and  its  accidental  destruction  was 
greatly  and  generally  regretted.  The  beauti- 
ful Avery  Memorial  Park  and  shaft  now  mark 
the  site  of  the  ancient  building.  These  early 
settlers  were  men  of  sterling  character,  and 
occupied  prominent  places  in  shapin.g  local  and 
colonial  affairs  not  onh-  in  their  own  locali- 
ties but  in  the  colonies  as  well. 

Farming,  railroading,  and  sea  food  produc- 
tion, are  among  the  leading  industries.  Many 
large  and  fertile  farms  are  found  in  the  out- 
Iving  districts,  whose  owners  maintain  them 
in  high  efificiency  through  moilern  and  up  to 
date  methods.  Probably,  what  is  known  as 
the  Gardner  farm  lying  along  the  east  bank  of 
the  river  extending  from  its  head  to  the  sound, 
is  the  largest  in  the  county,  if  not  in  the  state. 

Railroading  is  a  more  recent  industry,  hav- 
ing been  introduced  with  locating  the  exten- 
sive freight  vards  of  the     New     York,     New 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


S3 


Haven  and  Hartford  railroad  about  the  station 
which  has  been  changed  from  Poquonnock  to 
Midway  as  it  is  about  half  way  between  New 
York  and  Boston.  In  addition  to  the  freight 
yards,  the  erection  of  a  round  house,  coal 
pocket,  ice  house,  and  hotel  has  furnisucd 
employment  for  hundreds  of  men  many  of 
whom  make  their  homes  in  the  village. 

I'^rom    time    immemorial    Poquonnock    ri\-er 
and  the  adjacent  waters  of  the  sound  have  loeen 


reaches  back  to  its  earliest  settlement.  Here 
Elder  Park  Avery  established  a  "New  Light 
Congregational  Church"  in  the  days  of  White- 
field  and  his  zealous  coadjutors.  The  church 
declined  as  he  grew  old,  but  religious  efforts 
were   contimied. 

After  a  time  a  Sunday  school  was  estab- 
lished and  maintained  which  has  continued  to 
this  day.  The  church  which  grew  out  of  the 
Sunday   school    was   constituted   .\ugust    i8th, 


I'di^l  (l.\N(>(      KKlIx 

noted  for  their  abundant  supply  of  sea  food, 
both  scale  and  crustacean.  This  has  furnished 
occupation  fur  many,  and  members  of  certain 
families  have  followed  it  through  successive 
generations  until  the  highest  skill  and  success 
has  been  attained.  C)f  more  recent  date  the 
culture  of  oysters  has  been  intrciduccd  by  pri- 
vate enterprise  through  the  laying  DUt  and 
stocking  of  beds  in  the  ri\cr. 

The  history  of  Pocpionmick  P.ridge  P>aptist 
Church  as  such  begins  with  the  year  1856,  l)ut 
the  history  of  the  Christian  work  on  this  field 


K   AMI   (HI  i;<  H 

1856,  witli  twenty-five  members.  Rev.  S.  B. 
Pailex-  was  the  first  pastor,  and  continued  with 
tlieni  a]:)Out  eighteen  months.  The  next  was 
Rev.  George  Mixter  followed  by  Revs.  Alfred 
Gates  and  John  E.  Wood  who  raised  a  com- 
]iany  of  volunteers  and  went  with  them  to  the 
>>ar.  Xext  comes  Re\'.  Thomas  Dowling  fol- 
lowed liv  Pevs.  Curtis  Keeney  and  William 
.\.    Smith. 

Through  the  earnest  faithful  work  of  mem- 
bers, with  the  help  of  outside  friends,  the 
mone}'  was  raised  for  a  new  and  larger  church 


54 


HISTORIC  GKOTON 


edifice,  dedicated  November  8th,  1871,  with  The  church  has  a  handsome  Avery  memo- 
Rev.  Louis  Sands  as  pastor.  He  \vas  succeed-  rial  window  presented  by  Jeremiah  Harris  of 
ed  by  Elders  William  A.  Smith,  Stephen  Per-  (iroton.  whose  mother  was  Alary  Averv  Har- 
kins,  E.  C.  Miller,  George  \\'.  Pendleton,  C.  E.  ris.     The  fiftieth  anniversary  of  the  organiza- 


11,1  >    A\  l-.l:  \      llciMhM  I.AM 


Tullar,  X.  T.  Allen,  and  F.  H.  Cooper.     Re\'.      lion  nf  the  church  was  approjiriatelv  celebrat- 

(  ).    ("i.    I'.uddingtnn    the    ]5rcsent    pastor   was   a       cd  .\ugust   njtli,   igoO. 

(iroton  boy,  a  graduate  nf  the   Mystic  \'alle}'  I'he  jiresent  number  nf  mendiers  is  \ii.  The 


A\'KU\    Mi:.M(ii:i  Ai.  I-  \i;k 


Institute  in  1S77.  He  ^upi.jjied  the  chr.rch 
from  1904  tn  11)07.  \\hen  he  acce])ted  a  call  to 
the  pastnrate. 


nrticers  are  as  fnlloAs:  Clerk,  l)aniel  .Morgan; 
deacons.  C\ru>  .\\ery,  William  T.  I'.urrows. 
(diaries  C.   Palmer:  treasurer,  C\rus  .\\er\-. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


il 


A  good  graded  school,  well  filled  with  pupils,  j^robate  judge,  selectmen,  with  a  large  hall 
with  a  building  centrally  located  is  one  of  the  for  public  meetings,  and  is  thoroughly  up  to 
indispensal)le    accessories    to    the    intellectual      date  in  its  construction,  and  appointments. 


KKSIDKNCK  <IK  THK   I.ATK  KI.ISHA   SKAHri;\     lllll.M  AS 

Called  "Uigli    liock   I'laci-"  Miiil  siliiMti'il   :il    \\\y   lic-iiil   .if   tin-  K;l>tiTli  I'.iilil  Jiiil   I.umt 
l'.ic|iiiiiiiiiic   r.i:iil,     jMt.  'riiciiiwiB  pmiliiisiMl  this  Ijinl  in  isi;:.  ol    IMik  \\  illi;iiii   Avirv,  lu-iiiK 

the   snntliiTii  purtiiin  of   llir  (Mini  kiinwii  :is  ■■  I'.inli  I'hiins,"  niiil  ii I'll  il    linni  lln-  Inl".' 

i>ii  till'  risi'  III'  fjiiiiiiiil  :it  tlw  nmlli  nl  tin-  Inriii 

■■  On  wliirh  Hinli  HcM'k  likr  ;i  \^\'m\  j;iant  stanils 
CovelL-il  \ulll  liiiiss  :iii<t  si-aincd  liy  jjlacial  scai-s, 
As  it  liatli  stciiiil  thronfili  all  the  centuries" 

Till'   land  lias  always  liepii  iiwiicil  liy  a  ilrsci'nilant  nf  ('a]>taiii  .lanii's  A  vii  v.  lo  » 1 il 

was  y;rantr(l  in  IGfvJ 

lilc    nf    the    \illagc.      The    erection    nf    a    new  A   race  track  wiih  all   necessary  accompani- 

schiiiil    hnusc   al    iiresciu   is   an    agilalcd   (|ues-      incnts  for  athletic  spurts  and  a  riHe  range  es- 
tiiin.  tablished  l)y  the  state,   for  the  iiractice  of  the 


A   bcanlifiil  and  ciMiiiiindious  tmvn   hall   has      State    militia,    are    ainnn"-    th 


e    many    acquisi- 


GKOTON   TOWN    HALL 

recently  been  erected  at  a  cost  of  above  $25,-  tions,  pointing  to  a  desirable  and  central  loca- 

000,    thriiugh    the    generosity    of    Mr.    Morton  tion,  and  to  an  extensi\-e  outlying  domain,  bv 

F.   riant,  a   resident  of  the  town.     This  mag-  m.   means  }et   exhaustetl,   but   invitingly  open 

rificent  building  contains  offices  for  town  clerk,  to  future  enterprise  and  growth. 


S6 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


Picturesque  Noank 

By  MARY  E.  BURROWS 


h)A.\K  lies  on  the  X.  Y.,  N.  H.  & 
II.  railroad,  sex-en  miles  east  Lif 
Xew  London,  on  the  point  reach- 
ing;- out  to  the  waters  of  Long  Is- 
land siiund,  where  the  Alystic 
river  en-ipties  into  them.  The  scenery  is  son-ie 
of  the  most  picturesque  on  the  Atlantic  coast. 
At  the  south  lies  the  broad  expanse  of  blue 
water  of  Long  Island  sound,  bmken  at  the 
southern  horizon  by  Fisher's  Island  as  a  sky 
line  for  the  in-m-iense  picture.  Between  that 
and  the  main  land  are  dropped  here  and  there 


Noank,  or  "Xauyang,"  has  no  hazy  history, 
but  clear  cut  and  defined  from  the  da\-s  of 
1614,  si.x  years  before  the  landing  of  the  I'il- 
grims.  This  was  the  sun-imer  camping  ground 
where  the  Pequots  can-ie  from  their  interior 
winter  quarters  above  Mystic  and  Fort  Hill 
(then  Pequot  Hill).  Their  nets,  made  of  wild 
hemp,  set  across  the  north  cove,  gathered  in 
the  plentiful  suppl}-  of  fish,  or  from  their  ca- 
noes they  speared  them,  and  caught  the  other 
game  of  the  waters.  The  whole  long  sun-m-ier 
they    ro\-ed    independent    and    happy,    gorging 


>i().\NK    CENEKAI.    \-IKW 


smaller  islands  of  variiius  shapes  and  forma- 
tions, some  like  round,  green  dumplings,  some 
of  solid  rock,  barren  but  grand,  and  some  with 
rank  vegetation  with  dwelling  houses  showing 
their  bright  colored  roofs  an-iongst  the  ver- 
dure. The  widened  n-iouth  of  the  river  forms 
a  broad,  safe  harbor,  and  with  the  deep  chan- 
nel makes  Xoank's  ship|)ing-  facilities  of  great 
\alue.  This  is  the  "Xauyang"  of  old  Indian 
cays,  meaning  according  to  Prof.  Eno  of  Yale, 
"a  point  of  land." 


themselves  with  the  good  things  of  the  salt 
waters  provided  l^y  nature  in  such  bountiful 
cjuantities.  Then,  when  the  autumn  came, 
Itack  again  inland  where  their  corn  had  been 
growing  all  this  while,  back  to  business  again, 
like  other  summer  sojourners  of  modern  tin-ies. 
to  their  idling,  hunting,  their  intriguing,  and 
preving  on  their  brother  neighbors.  And  Xau- 
yang was  left  to  its  fall  beauty,  its  stillness 
and  solitude,  with  only  nature's  own  noises. 
The    trees    whispered   softly,   the    sn-iall    game 


HISTORIC    G  HO  TON 


57 


scuttled  here  and  there  in  search  of  food  ;  the 
squirrels  chattered  or  scolded  at  each  other 
as  the  case  warranted,  while  they  cunningly 
tucked  their  winter  stores  in  the  trunks  of 
trees  or  the  ground.  The  birds  called  each 
other  together  for  their  winter  migration,  and 
took  their  southward  flight,  and  Xauyang  was 
so  still,  so  calm,  so  beautiful,  while  the  blue 
waters  of  the  great  ocean  rolled  in  through 
"Wiccopesette  and  broke  with  a  swish — swish 
— lap — laj)  on  the  east  shore.  And  mi  the  west 
shore  of  "the  point  of  land."  it  gurgled  in  and 
out   among   the   rocks,   then    ran    laughing  out 


come  down  from  Ledyard  with  their  baskets 
for  sale. 

In  the  lottery,  the  point  where  the  light- 
house stands  was  drawn  by  James  Morgan, 
hence  its  name.  Alorgan  Point  light.  The  land 
where  the  little  old  house  stands,  the  home  of 
Rev.  A.  J.  Potter,  and  owned  by  his  grand- 
father, Thomas  Potter,  in  Revulutionary  times, 
v,as  drawn  by  John  Davie  first  town  clerk  of 
Groton.  who  afterwards  succeeded  to  his  ti- 
tle. Sir  John  Davie,  and  returned  to  England 
tr  his  title  and  estates. 

.\s  the  arri\-al  bv  water  is  much  more  beau- 


'!*^i''. 


STKEKT  SCKXK. 


again  to  the  cove,  and  found  its  way  to  the 
sound.  Xauyang,  ever  beautiful,  whether  in 
the  year  1614  or  Xoank  of  the   1900s. 

;\fter  the  raid  of  John  Mason  on  the  Pe- 
quots,  and  their  dispersion,  some  of  them 
finally  wandered  back  to  Nauyang,  where 
they  settled  with  "Cassasimamon"  as  their 
chief,  until  lb(^y.  when  they  were  sent  to  a 
reservation  in  the  town  of  Ledyard.  The  land, 
in  1712,  was  drawn  by  the  whites  b_\-  lottery, 
allowed  and  sanctioned  by  the  Hartford  as- 
sembly. The  Indians  were  granted  the  right 
of  hunting  and  fishing  at  .Xauyang  as  before, 
and  as  late  as  1857  would  make  summer  camp 
there   for  a   short   time,  and   in   the   early  60s 


tiful  than  the  prosaic  way  by  railroad  or  bv 
Irolle}-,  let  us  trim  the  sail,  ])Ut  up  the  tiller, 
and  rounil  lighthouse  ])oint.  the  extremity  of 
"the  point  of  land,"  and  take  a  general  view 
of  the  coast  line  of  the  town,  which  is  Iniilt  on 
both  sides  of  a  hilly  ridge  running  nurthward 
about  one  mile.  The  shore  line  furnishes  the 
best  view  of  the  industries  of  the  place,  so  we 
will  sail  to  the  north  dock  and  begin  our  ob- 
servations from  there.  As  we  swing  slowdy 
to  the  wharf,  we  find  that  all  is  bustle  and 
hurry,  for  some  of  the  most  hustling  captains 
(if  tlie  community  ha\e  just  arri\-ed  with  large 
cargoes  of  fish  to  be  iced  and  prepared  for 
shipment   to  Xew  York.     The   wharf  presents 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


a  grand  mix-up  of  rubber  boots,  squirming 
and  flopping  fish,  ice,  barrels,  liig  strong  hands 
and  jokes.  Every  moment  now  must  count 
that  they  may  catch  tb.e  not  train  out.  In  a 
few  hours  time  }'ou  may  see  these  same  men 
lounging  like  Inrds  of  leisure,  or  slowly  spin- 
ning some  sea  yarn,  as  though  there  was  no 
liurry  in  the  world  ;  but  now  it  means  get  their 
fish  to  market,  the  Sdoner  the  better,  the  more 
money  to  them. 

The  cargoes  of  these  vessels,  with  things 
fa\-orable,  represent  a  financial  value  of  $5,000 
or  $6,000,  while  their  running  e\])enses  will 
amount  ti  >  $200  a  week,  a  good  reason  for  hus- 
tling. Slime  of  their  largest  cargoes  are  taken 


there,  too,  all  are  intensely  busy.  \\'e  will  step 
over  there  and  see  what  enterprise  they  are 
piiimiiting.  We  can  just  run  across  lots  at  the 
erid  of  the  wharf  here,  for  e\eryone  in  Xoank 
goes  across  lots  when  they  choose.  Here  we 
find  a  small  marine  railway  fur  the  use  of 
smaller  vessels  to  haul  out  on  for  painting, 
scrubbing  the  bottoms,  caulking  or  any  slight 
repairs.  .\  minute  more  we  are  at  that  "other 
wharf."  '1  he  man  in  the  "seven  league"  boots, 
with  a  long-handled  scoop  net,  is  taking  the 
tureen,  snapping,  fighting  lobsters  frnni  a  great 
car  al  the  head  of  the  dock,  where  they  ha\-e 
been  stored  until  they  disgorged  the  bait  they 
so  greedily  devoured,  wdiolly  indifferent  to  tlie 


SHORE  SCENE 


directly  tn  Xcw  \'i;rk  in  their  vessels,  others 
.-■■hipped  as  described.  Cnuld  we  turn  our  gaze 
backward  from  thirty  tn  si-\t_\-  years  and  view 
tlie  shores,  wharf  and  harbnr,  we  would  see 
;;.  small  city  of  masts,  which  belonged  to  the 
fi.'hing  fleet,  then  flourishing,  h'rom  seventy- 
five  to  one  hundred  \'essels  went  out  and  came 
ii,,  making  their  tri|)s  to  Xew  \'ork  for  their 
market.  .Many  of  those  old  captains  have 
made  their  last  port,  and  cast  their  anchors 
in  the  long  haven  of  rest,  and  iinl\-  their  cosey 
little  homes,  so  lovingly  built  by  them,  remain 
as  their  memorial.  The  younger  generation 
ha\'e  taken  up  other  business,  and  the  present 
numbers  of  the  fleet  are  much  less,  iliough  the 
l.'usiness  is  ^•ery  jirofitablc. 

I'rom   here  the  next    wharf  can  lie  seen  and 


state  of  freshness  or  putridness  it  might  have 
been  in,  or  waiting  until  the  proper  time  for 
Xew  York  shipment.  These  are  scooped  into 
large  baskets,  swung  on  to  a  set  of  immense 
scales  til  be  weighed,  then  packed  into  barrels 
with  ice,  still  fighting,  grabbing  at  anything 
or  any  one.  .\.  fellow  lobster  cauglit  in  the 
great  claw  is  relentlessly  snap]ied,  his  claw 
crushed  to  atoms,  or  a  careless  handler  will 
ha\e  as  nearlv  the  same  treatment  as  said 
carelessness  will  allow.  Mere  are  agents  of 
Xew  ^'ork  firms  l)uying  from  the  lobstermen, 
such  as  wish  to  dispose  of  their  catch  in  that 
wa\',  while  others  send  directly  to  dealers  in 
the  metro|jolis,  or  in  near  by  cities. 

The  amount  of  capital   invested   in   the   lob- 
ster business  each  \ear  in  Xoank  is  \-er\-  con- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


59 


66 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


servatively  placed  at  $40,000.  In  early  years 
those  in  the  business  depended  entirely  on  sail 
to  reach  the  lobster  ground,  subject  to  the 
freaks  of  wind  and  tide.  In  1893,  A.  V.  and 
liis  brother,  W'ayland  Morgan,  made  a  depart- 
ure l)y  introtlucing  steam  in  their  sail  boats, 
r.sing  a  hollow  mast,  which  served  as  a  smoke- 
stack. This  prn\-ed  a  success,  as  the  pots 
cuuld  be  hauled  l)y  steam.  Later,  gasolene 
motors  were  installed,  and  now  are  the  uni- 
\'ersal  custom,  and  in  the  "wee  sma'  "  hours  of 
morning,  from  two  a.  m.  and  (in.  according  to 
the  time  of  tide,  one  may  sleepily  hear  the  ]iop- 
pop  of  the  motors,  as  they  start  upon  their 
day's  business,  and  we  turn  o\-er  in  bed  to  fin- 
ish our  comfortable  morning  sleep,  .\fter  the 
lobster  season,  these  boats  fish  until  about  l.^ec. 
1st,  shipping  to  the  cities. 

.\  short  walk  to  the  south,  or.  if  \ou  prefer, 
a  row  boat,  as  the  distance  is  hardh'  worth 
getting  the  sail  boat  under  way  again,  we 
come  to  the  beginning  of  those  fighting,  grab- 
bing, disgusting  looking,  but  delicious  tasting, 
lobsters,  the  Connecticut  state  hatcher}',  pre- 
sided over  b}'  Capt.  Latham  Rathbun,  estab- 
lished for  the  purpose  of  artificially  supplying 
the  waters  of  the  sound,  so  rapidly  being  de- 
pleted by  the  immense  demand  and  consump- 
tion of  the  crustacean.  It  is  intensely  inter- 
esting to  note  the  process.  The  work  begins 
in  May  and  lasts  until  about  the  third  week 
in  July.  A  tank  is  built  in  the  upper  story  of 
the  house,  and  the  sea  water  from  the  east  end 
oi  the  building  ( which  is  built  with  a  door 
opening  directly  on  to  the  water),  is  pumped 
by  gasolene  or  electricity  into  this  tank.  A 
large  pipe  leads  from  the  tank  down  to  the 
ground  floor,  connecting  with  small  pipes  run- 
ning the  water  into  ,t;lass  jars  holding  about 
two  gallons,  standing  on  a  long  table  for  that 
purpose,  also  to  a  recei\ing  tank  from  tliere, 
and  out  again  to  the  ocean  waters  from 
whence  they  came.  The  mother  lobster, 
which  is  bought  by  the  state  superintendent, 
and  is  protected  !)}•  law  for  its  spawn,  is  now 
relieved  of  the  eggs  by  the  hand  and  carefully 
separated  from  a  lum|)  that  the  water  mav  re- 
\olve  each  separately.  These  are  now  jilaced 
in  glass  jars,  one-half  million  of  them  to  a  jar, 


and  the  water  turned  on,  the  force  being  regu- 
lated by  a  small  valve  at  the  bottom  of  the  jar, 
that  the  eggs  may  revolve  at  a  certain  speed. 
The  water  running  in  forces  that  already 
there  over  into  the  receiving  tank,  causing  a 
never  ceasing  rotary  mo\'ement  to  the  eggs 
that  hatches  the  small  lobster,  which  rises  at 
once  to  the  top  and  is  floated  over  into  the 
tank.  These  are  about  one-third  of  an  inch 
long  at  that  time,  and  immediately  begin  their 
life  work  of  eating.  They  are  taken  away  al- 
most immediate!}-  and  emptied  into  the  waters 
tif  Long  Island  sound. 

Un  experimenting  as  to  keeping  them  until 
larger  and  better  able  to  care  for  themseh'es, 
it  was  found  that  in  about  three  weeks  they 
were  in  the  fourth  stage,  that  is,  about  three- 
(juarters  of  an  inch  in  length,  beginning  to 
form  shell,  and  perfect  in  shape.  It  is  impera- 
tive at  this  stage  that  they  should  be  turned 
out  to  provide  for  themselves,  as  they  will  die 
if  they  are  kept  longer.  The  forming  of  their 
shells  gi\-cs  them  weight,  wdiich  sinks  them  to 
the  bottom,  and  they  naturally  require  heavier 
food.  I'our  to  five  years  complete  the  growth 
to  the  lawful  market  size — nine  inches.  ()ne 
season's  hatchery  brings  out  fifty  million 
}oung  lobsters,  which  would  seem  on  a  fair 
way  to  restock  the  waters,  but  their  minute 
size  at  time  of  ])utting  them  overboard  causes 
great  loss,  as  many  are  eaten  by  larger  fish, 
and  only  a  very  small  proportion  mature. 

(  )n  our  way  here  from  the  lobster  wharf, 
we  passed  by  the  firm  of  J.  H.  Paine  &  Sons, 
Inc.,  builders  and  repairers  of  steam  and  gaso- 
kne  engines,  marine  and  stationary,  also  their 
galvanizing  plant,  the  whole  with  a  capacity 
of  twenty  men.  The  sail  loft  of  Mrs.  J.  Pal- 
mer Williams  does  a  steady,  lucrati\-e  business 
each   }ear. 

There  are  four  firms  for  building  small 
boats,  of  which  Jeremiah  Davis  is  the  veteran 
liiilder  of  them  all.  Late  }'ears,  these  are  about 
thirty  to  thirty-two  feet  long,  with  twelve  to 
fourteen  feet  beam.  From  that  size  they  vary 
to  skiffs  of  ten  or  twelve  feet,  also  to  motor 
launches.  This  enterprise  of  the  villatre 
amounts  in  financial  results  to  over  $12,000  a 
}ear,  running  to  about  $15,000  some  years, 


HISTORIC  GROrON 


6i 


The  shipyard  of  R.  Pahiier  &  Son  Co.  is  in 
the  lower  part  of  the  village,  towards  the  "Light- 
house" point  and  extending  well  on  to  the 
"Narrows."  This  is  one  of  the  largest  wood 
shipbuilding  plants  on  the  Atlantic  coast,  and 
employs  about  four  hundred  men.  The  ship- 
yard was  opened  in  1851  by  John  Palmer,  who 
was  ordained  deacon  of  old  Fort  Hill  church 
i.i  1821.  and  later  served  the  Xoank  church  in 
the  same  capacity,  when  it  was  formed  in  1843, 
till  the  time  of  his  death.  After  his  death,  his 
two  sons,  John  and  Robert,  succeeded  to  the 
Ijusiness  under  the  name  of  R.  &   J.   Palmer. 


at  the  expiration  of  seven  years'  service  in  that 
capacity,  the  records  show  he  had  cradled  five 
hundred  vessels  safely  without  a  mishap  or 
error  attributed  to  liis  work.  .\s  the  years  ad- 
\'anced  and  his  son,  Robert,  Jr.,  came  to  ma- 
turity, he  became  a  member  of  the  firm  antl 
it  became  Robert  Palmer  &  Son  Co.,  each  Rob- 
ert having  his  special  department,  but  making 
;i  united  whole.  New  methods  of  doing  work 
called  for  modern  machinery,  which  was  in- 
stalled as  the  occasions  demanded  until  at  the 
]>resent  date  it  is  one  of  the  finest  equipped 
\'ards  in  the  countrv. 


- 

.^- 

"'r.Z-'.  --""""^ 

1 

1 

^ 

wm 

'-r^fflB|Hfe|^ '  j^tt|^H^^^^^H^a^^| 

p 

A 

^ 

ivfe 

k:^  ■ 

M 

r 

« 

i^'"' 

^r 

1^-       " 

^*N# 

ii'  •' 

J 

^^^RSE>Tm,iinsea>ca 

■iiiti;i 

r 

n 

^KiTVMCH^nal 

K^^^^^^>^TWI 

HJIr    «.»•»»»  «w«K- 

Nothine    seemed    too    difficult    foi 


THE   SHIl'VARU 

these    two  Suppose  we  take  a  walk  round  the  yard  and 


men  to  attempt  t<-i  haul  out  on  their  marine  see  many  things  new  to  us  and  immensely  in- 
railways  and  they  always  ended  in  success.  teresting.  This  long  red  shop  is  the  oldest 
The  work  enlarged  until  the  death  ni  the  older      building.     In  the  upper  story  we  find  the  floor 


brother  John,  a  man  (if  sterling  worth  and 
loyal  Christian  character,  when  it  became  the 
business  of  Robert  Palmer.  I'nder  his  man- 
agement the  e\'er  increasing  l)usines  called  out 
tlie  natural  abilities  and  executive  (pialities 
he  possessed.  The  marine  railways  have  been 
under  the  direction  and  superintendence,  for 
a  numl)er  of  years  of  Charles  R.  Palmer,  only 
sur\i\ing  son  of  John  Palmer,  the  former 
member  of  the  firm.  His  record  does  honor 
to  the  older  members  and  their  training  when, 


coA'ered  with  strange  lines,  which  to  us 
seem  onl\'  a  confused  mass,  meaning  nothing 
at  all  ;  but  there  stands  a  short  hea\ily  built, 
oldish  man  with  short,  gra}-  hair — ?\Ir.  Led- 
yard  Daboll,  who  tells  us.  "that  is  the  draft- 
nig  of  some  new  vessel,"  and  he  certainly 
ought  to  know,  for  he  has  drafted  ou  these 
same  floors  for  man}'  a  long  _\'ear,  he  says  over 
fifty,  and  the  years  ha\'e  used  and  touched 
him  kindly. 

Xow  here  in  this  room,  begin  those  vessels 


62 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


nil  tlic  Stocks  which  we  can  see  from  the  win- 
dows, looking  toward  the  north,  south  and 
west.  \'essels  of  various  kinds  and  in  differ- 
ent  stages  of  prog^ress   meet   the   eve.     Tiiere 


SlIIOOMIor.SK 

is  the  staunch  httle  aggressive  tug  boat,  JiuiU 
ti.  l)reast  all  kinds  of  weather  and  hardshiji 
of  life,  its  iinl}-  object  to  get  there  with  its 
tow.  There  is  the  dapper,  s|)ick-span,  dand\- 
yacht,  like  a  society  l)elle,  designed  onlv  for 
pleasure  and  will  sail  the  world  over  to  find  it; 
also  the  steamljoat  of  a  passenger  or  freight 
Inie  ciunltining  some  of  the  elements  of  both 
the  iilhers.  Then  the  just  useful,  without 
beauty,  the  railroad  floats  and  coal  barges. 
But  tile  wiinder  of  their  construction  and  their 
great  clumsy  dignity  of  usefulness,  strongh- 
ai:)peal  to  one  as  he  goes  from  one  to  another 
watching  the  different  stages  and  workman- 
ship. 

Here  is  one  just  begun  by  laying  the  keel : 
then  comes  the  square  body  frame  which  is 
set  up  beginning  at  the  middle  of  the  craft  and 
worked  towards  either  end;  then  the  kilson, 
cants,  stem  and  stern  post,  next  the  ceiling  or 
inside  planking  and  the  deck.  .\  large  iron 
band,  six  inches  by  three-quarters  inch  in 
thickness,  is  then  lidund  round  the  to]),  and 
iron  bamls,  three  and  one-half  inches  by  one- 
half  inch  in  thickness  run  down  the  sides  diag- 
onally and  cross  diagonally,  thus  forming  a 
slay  (if  iron  in  form  of  diamonds  over  the  en- 
tire bndy  <if  the  vessel.  The  frame  is  cut  away 
fur  these  so  when  they  gd  into  place  the\'  are 
flush.      This    is    one    of    the    most    interestimj 


stages,    such    provisions    of   strength,    and    re- 
sistance for  weight,  weather  and  endurance. 

As  the  outside  planking  begins,  the  salting 
Ijcgins.  Usually  at  this  announcement  a  smile 
c'f  incredulit}-  creeps  over  the  countenance  of 
the  uninitiated,  thinking  they  are  being  guyed, 
but  a  great  quantity  of  salt  is  pour-^d  iu  as  the 
planking  proceeds.  This  is  to  preserve  the 
wood.  The  outside  planking  is  of  planks  of  4 
til  7  inches,  which  are  spiked  with  galvanized 
spikes  8  and  10  inches  long,  also  trenails 
ilri\-en  thrnugh  fri  mi  nuter  to  inner  planks  fas- 
tened at  both  ends  with  wedges  driven  in,  butt 
bolts  ri\-eted  at  the  end,  and  every  condition 
fur  strength  attended  t'l.  The  caulking  is  jNd 
iriteresting.  \\'e  see  the  men  npen  the  seams 
with  an  iron,  and  (lakum,  which  is  slightly 
twisted,  similar  tn  candlewick  but  the  size  of 
a  man's  wrist,  is  forced  into  the  opened  seam 
and  driven  in  until  the  oakum  is  as  solid  as 
the  plank  itself  and  thoroughly  water  tight. 
The   planers   follow    the   caulkers   as   tliev   work. 


ll.M-nsT    (HI   K<H 


The  searchers  look  things  all  o\er  for  holes, 
rents,  bail  jilaces  in  planks  and  -search  out  anv 
imperfection.  They  must  l>e  thorough,  honest, 
inistw  |)erfect  in  their  knowledge  of  their  bus- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


(^Z 


iness.  Now  conic  ihc  painters  and  the  gen- 
eral finishing'.  The  boats  are  then  thoroughly 
watered  to  test  or  find  any  leak.  This  may 
last  three  or  four  hours,  going  up  one  side, 
tlien  the  other. 

It  is  now  time  to  prepare  to  launch  by  put- 
ling  ways  under,  which  are  slightly  inclined 
]jlanes  slushed  with  tallow  nii.vcd  with  oil,  on 
which  the  vessel  slides  to  her  future  element. 
This  ]ilant  for  sex'eral  successive  }'ears  has  av- 


Down  below  are  great  knees  of  8  and  9 
inches  in  thickness  carefull}-  marked  in  the 
shape  desired.  These  are  placed  on  the  table 
and  a  saw  so  small  and  slemler  it  looks  incon- 
gruous is  poised  above  the  depth  of  clumsy 
wood  bulk  under  it,  but  a  hand  regulates  the 
force,  and  hands  guide  the  clumsy  piece 
with  its  marks  exactl}-  to  the  saw,  and  with 
another  little  shrill  shout  the  saw  ploughs  its 
wav  e.xact  to  the  line,  and  a  knee  is  turned  out 


.Sr.MMKK   RESIDEXCK  OK  Til 

eraged  a  vessel  constructed  and  launched  every 
ten  days.  The  gross  income  in  ]ianic  year  was 
$741,000. 

While  we  are  waiting  for  the  tide  to  touch 
the  highvfater  mark,  just  strull  round  to  the 
different  houses  where  the  various  parts  are 
prepared  and  made  ready  for  their  respecti\e 
places.  Here  is  the  sawmill  where  the  im- 
mense logs  are  sent  on  the  great  carnage  to 
be  trimmed  into  shape.  They  roll  along  to  the 
saw'  wdiich  strikes  them  with  an  angrv.  exult- 
ant scream,  as  it  buries  itself  in  the  huge  bulk, 
and  with  a  \-ell  runs  its  entire  length. 


K    \.KXV.  MR.   EI.IHT   SPICER 

as  neatl}-  as  the  shears  would  cut  a  pastebnard 
curd.  That  one  there,  iv  where  the  trenails  are 
sywed.  .K  s(|uare  stick  of  locust  about  22  inches 
in  length  by  one  and  one-eighth  inches  square, 
is  fed  to  the  huiigr}'  brute,  llehuld!  he  grabs 
it,  the  Ijelt  swings  round  and  one  schnist !  and 
a  smooth,  round  trenail  is  the  result  wdiich 
goes  to  fasten  that  ]5lanking.  One  man  turns 
1800  of  these  trenails  a  day.  So  the  numerous 
saws  do  each  its  own  work. 

Over  there  is  the  blacksmith  shop.  The  r(.)ar 
of  the  flames  and  the  clank!  clank!  (if  the  amil 
is  turning  out  those  irini  bands  with  which  the 


64 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


vessels  are  strapped  and  the  other  iron  work 
required.  There  is  a  funny  looking  box  thing 
and  the}'  are  steaming  planks  to  make  them 
pliable  to  bend  into  place  over  a  bulging 
frame.  There  is  a  most  picturesque  frescoed 
little  building  near  the  shore,  the  most  artistic 
of  them  all.  A  few  panes  of  glass  missing 
from  the  window  in  the  peak  and  daubs  of  all 
colored  paints  forming  a  rich  dado  as  high  as 
a  man  can  reach  without  a  ladder,  red,  yellow, 
etc.  That  is  the  paint  shop.  Then  we  visit 
the  power  house,  that  furnishes  all  the  force 
that  performs  these  wonderful  things. 

The  tide  is  now  about  full  and  the  click-et- 
click  of  the  men  at  work  under  the  bottom 
warn  you  to  get  your  place  for  viewing  the 
kiunch.  The  rapping  of  th(ise  men  tightening 
up  the  wedges  is  very  exciting  to  an  onlooker, 
and  causes  them  to  wish  they  could  do  some- 
tiiing,  too.  A  little  lull  in  the  click-et-click, 
then  it  comes  again,  "Did  you  see  her  move?" 
Xo,  not  yet.  Click-ct-click !  "There  she  goes!" 
Some  boy  has  noticed  a  slight  advance  from 
the  marked  line.  "There  she  goes!!"  from  the 
older  ones,  and  "Hurrah!!!"  from  the  specta- 
tors and  workmen.  E\-ery  whistle  in  the  yard 
and  e\ery  saucy  little  nidtdr  boat  in  sight  (like 
the  proverbial  small  Ijoy,  always  around  ready 
to  scream  at  the  chance)  send  out  their  three 
times  three.  Hurrah  !  Amidst  the  great  jargon 
of  good  cheer,  she  slides  over  the  tallow  and 
oil,  ploughs  down  into  the  water,  and  as  the 
water  buoys  up  the  full  length  of  her,  she 
makes  a  graceful  bow  to  the  audience  and  the 
firm  that  has  caused  her  being,  and  floats  out 
for  the  mission  for  which  she  was  built.  The 
shipyard  is  certainly  worth}-  a  visit,  and  the 
time  is  well  spent  in  gaining  much  information 
as  well  as  pleasure. 

On  the  brow  of  "Store  Hill,"  (for  in  old  days 
the  general  variety  and  grocery  stores  were  at 
the  foot  of  this  hill,  nearly  at  the  head  of  the 
town  dock,  that  they  might  conveniently  sup- 
ply the  vessels  as  they  came  in),  turning  to 
the  right  and  walking  through  the  deep  lawn, 
we  approach  the  P.aptist  church,  the  oldest  re- 
ligious bod}-  in  the  ])lace.  It  is  of  verv  plain 
architecture,  painted  white,  l)ut  its  tapering 
spire   with   its   situation   on    the   hill,   give   it  a 


picturesque  effect.  Far  out  on  the  waters  of  the 
sound,  or  l)ack  into  the  distant  country  hills, 
that  slim  white  spire  can  be  seen,  pointing- 
upward,  seeming  to  pierce  the  blue  skies  and 
Clouds.  This  church  is  a  daughter  of  the  old 
Fort  Hill  meeting  house,  and  grand-daughter 
ol  Old  Mystic  church,  the  first  Baptist  church 
formed  in  this  part  of  Connecticut.  The  Noank 
ISaptist  church  was  formed  in  1843,  though  it 
is  so  intertwined  with  the  old  Fort  Hill  church 
as  to  ha\-e  actually  begun  its  existence  eighty 
years  previous.  Its  independent  existence  be- 
gan with  two  hundred  and  twenty-three  mem- 
l>ers,  of  which  one  hundred  were  converts  of 
the  meetings  held  by  Elder  Jabez  Swan  in 
Mystic  a  short  time  before.  There  are  nine  of 
those  niembers  still  living. 

Its  history  has  been  at  times  almost  dramat- 
ic, and  at  all  times  has  it  been  as  salt  savoring 
tlie  community.  \\'e  can  here  hardly  touch 
on  its  power  for  good.  There  has  never  been  in 
the  history  of  Noank  the  open  sale  of  liquors, 
ir  into.xicants  allowed.  Public  opinion,  so  im- 
)iregnated  with  the  influence  of  that  church's 
teachings  to  the  young,  and  their  parent^'  in- 
lieritance  before  then-|,  is  such  that  they  rise  up 
nauseated  and  alarmed  at  such  sales  in  their 
midst.  Many  times  it  has  been  attempted,  and 
some  times  carried  on  surreptitiously  for 
awhile,  Init  as  soon  as  proof  could  be  obtained, 
it  was  stopped.  The  present  house  of  worshi]) 
was  built  in  1867,  at  a  cost  of  $iJ,ooo,  having 
a  seating  capacity  of  about  four  hundred.  Since 
that  time,  improvements  have  been  n-iade  as 
times  and  conveniences  have  denianded,  and 
at  present  it  is  lighted  by  electricity,  has  a  fine 
modern  pipe  organ  installed  at  the  cost  of 
$2,500,  is  heated  with  hot  air,  has  a  ba])tistry 
with  water  supply,  a  well  equipped  kitchen, 
and  a  large  Sunday  school  room. 

The  ^lethodist  church  was  formed  as  a 
chapel,  partially  dependent  on  the  conference 
for  support,  in  the  year  1878.  .After  years  of 
using  what  was  known  as  the  chapel,  it  became 
athisable  to  build  a  better  and  larger  house, 
which  was  done  in  1903.  They  have  now  an 
auditorium  with  a  seating  capacity  of  two  hun- 
dred and  fifty  to  three  hundred,  fitted  with 
modern  impro\'ements.  A  well  e(iui])ped  kitch- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


65 


66 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


er.,  and  Sunday  schoul  rooms  are  below  the 
main  auditorium.  The  total  value  of  house 
and  furnishings  is  about  $7,000.  The  same 
year  was  built  a  Protestant  Episcopal  and  also 
a  Roman  Catholic  church. 


1843,  't  was  used  for  meetings  when  occasion 
called,  funerals  being  held  there,  as  well  as 
prayer  and  preaching  ser\'ices.  Many  now  liv- 
ing ha\'e  a  reverential  feeling  for  the  school 
house  which  now  stands  with  its  modern  front 


BY  THE  WATER  SIDE 


The  schools,  both  District  No.  11  in  the  cen-  and  l)ack  added  to  the  "big  and  little"  jiarts  of 
tre  of  the  village,  and  District  No.  6  in  upper  other  days,  which  interpreted  meant  the  rooms 
Noank,  are  so    closely    allied    to    the    Baptist      of  the  liig  and  little  children,  or  the  senior  and 


L 


-nifr-' 


fitfb 


•AX  EXQUISITE  RETREAT.'  ON  THE  G.  ,lt  S. 

church  history  as  to  be  part  and  parcel  with  primary   grades.     The   school   house   has  now 

it  in    interesting    reminiscences    and    personal  five  rooms  with  grades  and  classes  up  to  date, 

spiritual  experiences.    The  school  house  of  No.  presided  over  by  teachers  who  efficiently  hold 

]i  was  built  in  1837,  and  from  that  time  until  them  up  to   the  required  standard,  and   when 


HISTORIC  G  HO  TON 


67 


students  are  admitted  to  the  high  schools  of 
other  towns  they  take  an  advanced  place,  some 
01  them  nearl}-  ready  for  the  sophomore  year. 

District  \o.  6,  upper  \oank,  carries  the  re- 
ligious remembrances  still  further  back  to 
nearly  a  century.  It  has  always  been  called 
"the  old  school  house."  Before  District  No. 
II  was  formed  and  the  house  built,  those  who 
have  passed  to  the  great  beyond,  but  would 
have  long"  passed  the  century  mark  at  this  time, 
wearily  plodded  over  the  hills  with  their  little 
dinner  pails  from  lower  Noank  on  the  shores, 
to  that  school,  for  their  meagre  advantages  of 
learning  to  read  and  write.  Our  great  grand- 
mothers, at  four  or  five  years  of  age  climbe^l 
those  hills,  more  than  a  mile,  to  school,  and 
stopped  to  rest  at  the  same  house  one  of  them 


old  habit  of  "lining  oE"  from  the  one  red 
hymn  book  held  by  the  minister,  while  he  gave 
them  line  b\'  line  to  sing.     The  old  house  has 


METHODIST  CHURCH  .   , 

went  to  live  in  afterwards  with  her  }dung  hus- 
band, which  was  her  home  until  she  died  at 
nearly  ninety-one  years  of  age.  She  could  tell 
of  seasons  of  great  religious  blessings  in  the 
old  school  house,  of  prayer  meetings  and 
searching  sermons.  A  musically  inclined 
member  discoursed  on  the  singing  schools, 
when  the  singing  began  to  improve  from  the 


IJOUTHOI  SK 

l.'een  renuned,  and  a  modern  one  takes  its 
place,  with  modern  methods  of  teaching  and 
an  up-to-date  teacher.  Though  it  is  a  mi.xed 
school  it  arrives  at  a  good  grade  of  scho'arship 
and  has  no  reason  to  be  ashamed. 

\\'e  will  return  over  the  hills  our  great 
grandmothers  trudged  as  they  went  and  canie 
from  school.  The  view  horn  hill  to  ocean  is 
just  as  beautiful.  Init  the  world  has  moved 
strangely  and  wonderfully  the  last  century, 
and  now  we  see  from  those  hills  the  conven- 
ient trolley  car  gliding  along  the  highway  each 
half  hour,  connecting  Groton  with  Westerly, 
R.  I.,  and  sounding  its  triumphant  little  whis- 
tle as  it  slips  out  of  sight  around  some  curve. 

A  visit  to  the  railroad  station  next.  The 
telegraph  operator  is  ticking  at  his  machine, 
the  freight  agent  is  booking  freight ;  fish,  lob- 
sters and  general  freight  are  going  out.  Flat 
cars  are  coming  in  loaded  with  lumber  from 
the  south,  lumber  from  Oregon  ordered 
months  ago,  knees  from  Sault  St.  Marie,  Mich., 
floor  timber  from  Nicollette,  West  Va.,  tre- 
nails from  Canada,  and  lumber  from  other 
points  near  by.  Immense  anchors,  their  mam- 
moth chains,  coils  of  hempen  hawsers  that  call 
out  an  exclamation  of  wonder  at  the  size,  cav- 
ernous iron  water  tanks,  etc.,  all  for  Palmer  & 
Son  Co.,  shipbuilders.  Then  there  is  the  freight 
for  the  numerous  grocery  stores,  markets  and 
other  stores.  We  find  the  amount  received  for 
freight  in  one   month  to  be  $7,000,   at  others 


68 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


^^&M&h:^WM. 


•\::m^^^^.. 


TROLLEY  St'ENE 


$5,000  and  $6,000.  Amount  received  for  pas- 
senger tickets  to  have  been  $1,500  a  month  be- 
There  are  two  well  equipped  hotels  for 
summer  visitors.  The  Ashby  house  in  the 
lower  part  of  the  village  accommodates  about 
fifty  guests,  and  The  Palmer  in  the  upper  part 
of  the  village  entertains  from  sixty  to  seventy- 
five  visitors.  Artists  from  the  large  cities  find 
abundant  material  in  the  beautiful  scenic  sur- 
roundings for  their  winter  art  exhibitions, 
which  bring  them  fame  and  golden  shekels,  or 
gold  certificates  of  Uncle  Sam's,  meaning"  pros- 
perity in  the  world's  goods. 

Quiet,  unassuming  Noank,  making  but  lit- 
tle pretentions  of  its  benevolent  deeds  and  char- 
itable acts,  though  always  ready  to  answer 
the  call  for  sympathy  of  the  great  outside 
world,  in  its  poverty  and  the  distress  of  its 
poor.  From  the  beginning,  alert  to  answer 
the  call  of  its  country  in  the  conflicts  of  the 
Revolution  and  the  war  of  1812,  while  the  call 
of  the  Civil  war  to  save  the  unity  of  the  nation 
rallied  the  young  men  to  its  defence  in  enthu- 
siastic numbers,  and  gave  their  native  village 
an  honorable  mention  among  men  by  their 
noble  service  to  and  for  their  countrv. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


69 


The  Work  of  Fanny  Ledyard  Chapter,  D.  A.  R. 


By  MARY  E.  BURROWS 


KHI'l  pioneer  chapter  of  the  Daugh- 
ters of  the  American  Revolution 
in  the  town  of  Groton  was  the 
Fanny  Ledyard  Chapter  of  Mystic, 
(  )I(1  Mystic  and  Xoank.  Tt  was 
formed  June  8,  1893.  the  chapter  number  being 
10.  ft  was  also  the  second  chapter  in  the 
I'nited  States  to  appoint  a  chaplain  among  its 
cfficers,  who  opens  each  meeing  witli  relig- 
ious exercises. 

To  Mrs.  Eliza  A.  (Miner)  Dennison  be- 
longs the  honor  of  the  first  membership  and  the 
early  promotion  of  the  chapter.  She  was  ac- 
cepted by  the  national  board  as  a  member  and 
appointed  regent  of  "A"  chapter  .April  i,  1893. 
endorsed  by  Mrs.  DeB.  Randolph  Keim  state 
regent  of  Connecticut,  her  national  number 
being  2966.  As  regent  of  "A"  chapter  the 
responsibility  was  placed  on  her  of  forming 
that  chapter,  and  she  immediately  began  her 
work  of  securing  eligible  members.  The  first 
member  of  the  chapter  was  Mrs.  Eliza  (Deni- 
son)  Brown  of  Xoank  whose  name  comes  on 
the  charter  following  the  regents  as  numljcr 
two.  In  a  short  time  she  had  the  required 
number  for  the  charter  (thirteen)  and  three 
more  for  good  measure,  making  a  roll  call  of 
sixteen  for  the  beginning.  These  papers  were 
sent  to  Washington  the  middle  of  .\pril  ami 
accepted  by  the  national  board  June  i,  1893. 

The  first  regular  meeting  was  held  June 
8,  1893,  at  which  time  came  the  choosing  of  a 
name.  Several  names  were  proposed  when 
from  one  corner  came  a  whisper,  from  as  cjuiet 
and  unassuming  a  gentlewoman  as  our  chapter 
I'.eroine  herself,  to  one  of  the  ladies  nearer  the 
front  row,  "Why  don't  you  name  it  Fanny 
Ledyard?  She  was  the  first  to  give  aid  to  the 
suffering  victims  of  F'ort  Griswold?"  The 
front  row  lady,  Mrs.  Sarah  (Burrows)  Buck- 
ley, audibly  voiced  that  whisper  and  the  name 
thus     proposed     was     unanimously     adopted. 


Fann}-  Led\'ard  was  reincarnated  and  lives 
again  to  d(i  deeds  of  mercy  and  kindness  in 
the    chapter    which    bears    her   name,   and    the 


D.  A.  R.  CABINET 

Cabinet  and  frame  of  diartpr.  made  of  wood  from 
Fanny  Ledyard's  liousr :  npi»L*i-  shelf,  picture  of 
••White  Hall"  gates;  second  slielf,  iiicture  of  Hart- 
ford bridge;  third  .shelf,  Fanny  lAnlyard's  plate,  old 
hand  woven  lini'n  and  bundle  of  tlax ;  fourth  shelf, 
books  of  I).  A.  K. 

name  was  chosen  for  us  by  the  honored  school- 
teacher whom  so  many  have  risen  up  from  her 
ministrations  to  call  blessed — Miss  Ann  Au- 
gusta Murphy. 


yd^ 


HISTORIC  GROrON 


ihe  first  taking  up  of  the  practical  work  uf 
the  chapter  was  on  September  6th,  to  com- 
memorate tne  massacre  of  Groton  Heights  at 
the  old  tort,  with  invited  guests  from  the 
chapters  of  New  London  and  Aorwich.  Ever 
since  that  date  as  the  year  rolls  round,  the  day 
has  been  observed,  and  "the  memory  of  the 
spirit  '  of  those  heroes  and  heroines  ot  that 
dreadful  day  is  perpetuated  and  newly  aroused 
in  each  heart  which  attends  these  anniversa- 
ries. February  22  has  always  been  celebrated 
with  but  one  exception  in  the  fifteen  years — a 
perpetuation  of  the  spirit  of  that  great  leader— 
the  magnanimous  Lhristian  gentleman  and  the 
Moses  of  our  country.  Patriotic  and  literary 
exercises  and  colonial  teas  bring  to  mind  the 
habits  and  costumes  of  "ye  olden  times,"  and 
each  time  arouse  a  new  interest  in  historical 
research  as  to  what  and  how  our  grandsires 
did  and  lived. 

Une  early  call  to  the  chapter  was  not  to  pro- 
tect historical  soil  but  to  help  make  such.  In 
the  far  state  of  California  where  no  Revolu- 
tionary soil  can  be  found,  the  Sequia  Chapter 
planted  a  Liberty  tree  and  sighed  for  histor- 
ical soil  for  its  growth;  a  call  was  made  for 
contributions  from  each  chapter  and  that  from 
Lexington  was  the  first  trowel  full  placed 
round  its  roots ;  then  across  the  broad  Atlantic 
came  that  from  the  grave  of  Lafayette,  and  so 
on,  from  the  various  and  far  aways  came  the 
soil  which  gives  growth  to  that  tree.  The 
Fanny  Ledyard  chapter  sent  hers  from  the 
grave  of  their  patron  saint  in  Southold,  L.  L, 
and  so  historic  and  revolutionary  soil  like  the 
spirit  has  spread,  and  found  a  rich  abiding 
place  in  the  beautiful,  bountiful  Golden  State. 

Soon  after  this  a  fund  was  started  for  a  tab- 
let to  commemorate  the  loving  deeds  of  Fan- 
ny Ledyard  in  ministering  to  the  wounded  and 
suffering  of  the  battle  of  September  6th,  1781. 
In  June,  1895,  the  tablet  was  finished  and 
placed  on  her  grave.  A  delegation  of  the  chap- 
ter with  several  Sons  of  the  American  Revo- 
lution accompanied  by  others  not  of  either  or- 
ganization visited  Southold  and  held  dedica- 
tory services  appropriate  for  the  occasion  and 
its  presentation  to  the  village.  The  tablet 
was  accepted  by  Rev.  Dr.  \\hittaker  in  behalf 


of  the  village.  Visits  are  frequently  made  to 
the  spot  to  pay  respect  and  to  keep  an  over- 
sight as  fo  its  condition.  When  the  house 
vvhere  our  heroine  had  always  lived  was  re- 
moved, Dr.  \\'hittaker  saved  some  of  its  time 
stained  oak  and  forwarded  it  to  the  chapter, 
from  which  was  made  a  carved  frame  for  the 
charter,  and  a  cabinet  in  which  to  preserve 
relics. 

Another  historical  monument  is  the  pair  of 
gates  at  the  old  Whitehall  burying  ground 
just  above  Mystic,  where  Revolutionary  patri- 
ots rest  with  the  families  of  old  Colonial  sires. 
The  grounds  were  cared  for  and  ])ut  in  order, 
stones  righted  and  work  finished  by  placing 
fine  iron  gates  at  the  entrance. 

Markers  for  the  graves  of  Revolutionary 
]iatriots  were  obtained  from  the  generous  Sons 
of  the  American  Revolution,  and  one  lone 
hero  of  Groton  Heights  sleeping  about  a  mile 
from  Noank  was  tenderly  remembered,  his  grave 
made  orderly  and  a  marker  placed  there  for 
David  I'alniLT. 

.A.  contrilmtion  was  made  towards  the  pur- 
chase of  Putnam's  wolf  den  at  Pomfret, 
Connecticut. 

April  7,  1897,  the  chapter  became  a  mem- 
ber of  the  Mary  Washington  Association,  the 
badge  of  membership  to  be  worn  by  each  re- 
gent while  holding  that  office.  To  encourage 
Instorical  research  socials  were  organized  for 
such  study,  papers  were  written,  original 
poems  composed,  and  so  mind  and  heart  were 
opened  to  the  work  before  them.  .\s  the  work 
of  the  chapter  grew  and  so  much  was  done 
for  the  country's  good  by  its  women,  this  work 
assumed  other  forms  and  the  literary  work 
came  in  at  regular  meetings  and  special  anni- 
versaries. Among  their  cherished  members 
have  been  three  real  daughters,  Mrs.  Nancy 
Lord  Stanton,  Miss  Hilary  Ann  \\'hceler,  Mrs. 
.-Mibyline  Starr.  These  were  each  presented 
with  the  gold  spoon  given  to  real  daughters. 

Miss  Abigail  Ledyard  of  Southold,  L.  T., 
great  grand  niece  of  Fanny  Ledyard.  is  an 
honorary  member  of  our  chapter. 

Many  historical  spots  have  been  visited.  One 
trip  which  stands  out  in  bold  relief  is  that 
to   Lebanon,   Conn..  June    17,    1896.  by  invita- 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


71 


tioii  of  the  S.  A.  R.  to  dedicate  the  bronze  tab- 
let in  the  Httle  old  war  otifice  in  Jonathan 
'rrunibuH's  grocery  store. 

Article  2nd  of  the  constitution  reads :  "To 
promote  as  an  object  of  priniar_\-  importance, 
institutions  for  the  general  diffusion  of  knowl- 
edge," a  quotation  from  Washington's  will. 
Under  this  heading  we  place  first,  as  homage 
to  the  distinguished  author,  a  contribution  to 
the  "National  Universit}-"  fund  of  Washing- 
ton. Contributions  to  the  Southern  i'lduca- 
tiunal  Association  for  the  education  of  the 
mountain  whites;  for  a  scholarship  of  the 
Connecticut  Literary  Institute  at  Suffield,  and 
two  prizes  to  the  Mystic  high  schools  for  the 
best  historical  essays  on  the  battle  of  Groton 
Heights,  have  been  given. 

The  insignia  of  the  Daughters  is  a  seal  of 
American  womanhood.  It  immediately  es- 
tablishes a  bond  between  the  wearers  reach- 
ing out  to  sociability  and  good  fellowship; 
consequently  this  chapter  has  always  extended 
most  cordial  welcome  to  any  visiting  Daugh- 
ter m  tnis  cummunit)'  and  is  always  pleased  to 
be  addressed  by  her  on  the  work  of  her 
home  chapter,  i' roni  time  to  time  they  have 
given  to  some  prominent  official  to  whom  the) 
wished  to  pay  tlieir  respects,  receptions  reach- 
ing througfi  the  state  to  each  chapter  regent 
or  her  representati\e.  Such  honor  was  paid 
Airs.  DeLl.  Randolph  kiem,  stale  regent,  on 
two  occasions,  to  Airs.  Sarah  T.  Kinney,  state 
regent;  to  Airs.  Agnes  (_Martin)  Dennison, 
vice-president  general  of  national  societ}  and 
previously  registrar  general;  to  Airs.  Donald 
AIcLean,  regent  of  New  York  City  chapter 
and  later  to  her  as  president  general  of  the 
national  society. 

These  were  one  and  all  brilliant  functions 
made  so  by  artistic  decorations  of  flags,  the 
insignia,  flowers,  roses  and  ferns,  gorgeous 
foliage,  music,  beautiful  gowns,  gentle  women, 
their  husbands  and  sons,  with  entertainment  of 
wit,   wisdom,   and   dainty   refreshments. 

Then  there  have  been  the  many  calls  for  gen- 
erous thinking  of  others  less  fortunate.  The 
"Alargaret"  fund  is  put  aside  for  the  yearly 
dues   of  any   one   temporarily   unfortunate,   so 


making  her  mem])ershi]')  a  Imrden.  From  this 
fund  is  quietly  handed  the  amount  required 
and  no  publicity  attends  its  payment.  The 
flower  fund  is  a  penny  collection  each  month 
to  furnish  flowers  to  the  sick  of  their  number. 
There  was  the  call  in  "98  for  hospital  shirts 
for  sick  and  wounded  soldiers  and  sailors  of 
the  Spanish-American  war.  The  response 
was  the  forwarding  of  eighty  shirts,  and  a 
quantity  of  comfort  bags  so  much  needed. 

Alarch  17,  1899,  came  a  call  for  contributions 
towards  a  monument  for  Aliss  Rulinia  \\  al- 
worth,  daughter  of  one  of  the  founders  of  the 
D.  A.  R.  This  heroine  contracted  disease 
while  nursing  the  sick  of  the  Spanish  war  for 
whom  she  laid  down  her  young  life.  Aloney 
has  frequently  been  given  to  elderly  needy 
members.  A  donation  was  made  loward  a 
loving  cup  to  our  state  regent,  Airs.  Sarah 
Kinney,  for  long  and  loving  service.  She  most 
generously  turned  the  sum  at  once  into  tue 
continental  Hall  fund. 

An  appeal  came  from  a  Alemphis,  Tenn., 
chapter,  asking  tor  a  doll  for  a  bazaar  to  be 
held  to  raise  money  lor  a  monument  to  the 
daughter  of  i'atrick  ilenry.  I  his  call  was  also 
listened  to  and  Aiiss  i'anny  Ledyard  by  name, 
beautifully  garbed  m  lyth  century  costume  of 
blue  silk  gown,  black  satin  coat  trimmed  with 
dainty  lace,  and  white  CainsDoro  hat  of  white 
chiffon  and  velvet  started  on  her  mission  to 
Alemphis  escorted  by  Air.  Adams  Express. 
Utlier  contriljutions  are  to  the  New  London 
County  Historical  Society  towards  the  Shaw 
Alansion,  New  London;  Groton  Annex;  Aa- 
than  Hale  school  house;  Franco  Alemorial 
fund;  Young  Mens  Christian  Association; 
jellies  for  Boston  Hospital;  Ellsworth  Home- 
stead, Windsor;  Hartford  Bridge  celebration; 
Fanny  Crosby's  birthday  present;  and  mem- 
bership and  dues  of  an  invalid  S.  A.  R.  Two 
successive  years  general  literature,  periodicals 
and  games  were  given  for  the  soldiers  at  Fort 
Terry,  Plumb  Island,  and  Fort  A'lansfield, 
Watch  Hill,  R.  I.  An  apportionment  for  the 
C^onnecticut  column  in  Continental  Hall  was 
given,  making  the  whole   amount  contributed 


72  HISTORIC  GROTON 

for  the  Continental  Hall  fund  to  date  two  hun-  And  with  before  us,  the  womanly  kindness 

dred  and  fifty-one  dollars.     A  heartfelt  tribute  of  our  patron  saint  whose  deeds  have  raised 

to  our  martyred  and  lamented  president,  Wm.  the  most  enduring  memorial,  the  Fanny  Led- 

McKinley,  was  written  by  ^liss  Mary  E.  Bur-  yard  chapter,  D.  A.  R.,  strives  by  her  work  and 

rows,    and    forwarded    by    the    chapter   to    his  deeds   to  do  her  honor,  and  also  the  country 

sorrowing  widow.  which  she  pledges  to  sustain. 


HISTORIC  GEO  TON 


73 


West  Mystic 


By  HORACE  CLIFT 


■.ST  MYSTIC  in  the  town  of  ( Iroton 
has  an  area  of  about  two  miles 
s<iuare.  It  extends  from  the  river 
on  the  east  to  Fort  Hill  on  the 
west.  (  )n  the  east  side  it  extends 
from  ISeebe's  cove  at  the  foot  of  Devil's  Foot 
Hill  to  near  Porter's  Rocks  on  the  north  ;  aiifl  on 
the  west  side  from  the  Burrows'  cemetery  on 
Fort  Hill,  north  along  the  Flanders  road  to 
the  old  post  road. 

This  section  was  the  home  of  the  Pequot 
Indians  when  Xew  England  began  to  l)e  set- 
tled b}-  the  white  race.  Fort  Hill  and  Pequot 
Hill  are  noted  as  l^eing  their  strongliolds. 

The  rugged  crags  near  the  river  on  the  north 
known  as  Porter's  Rocks  are  historic  as  being 
the  resting  place  of  the  allied  forces  under 
Capt.  John  Mason  the  night  before  the  attack 
on  the  Pequot  fort  in  May,  1637. 

A  few  years  after  that  decisive  battle  the 
settlement  of  the  section  began.  Robert  Bur- 
rows, John  Packer,  John  Fish,  and  Robert 
Park  are  named  as  first  settlers,  1652-5.  The 
Park  family  located  at  first  on  the  east  side  of 
the  ri\er.  From  that  time  until  near  the  year 
1800  this  territory  was  occupied  and  owned 
chiefly  by  the  Burrows,  Packer,  Fish,  and 
Park  families.  Descendants  of  these,  from 
time  to  time  have  ])een  honored  with  the  chief 
offices  in  the  town  of  Groton  and  they  have  in 
turn  proved  an  honor  to  the  town.  Some  of 
the  descendants  have  become  men  of  high 
repute  in  the  nation. 

In  1800,  and  for  a  number  of  years  later 
tliere  were  no  public  highways  in  ^^'est  Mys- 
tic excepting  the  route  from  the  ferry  to  Fort 
Hill,  through  Poquonnock  to  Groton  liank, 
which  was  laid  out  very  early  to  facilitate  in- 
tercourse: and  the  Flanders  road  opened  in 
1748,  running  from  Fort  Hill  north  to  the  old 
post  road  and  Stark's  Hill.  With  these  two 
exceptions  the  travelled  routes  were  pent  ways 
with  gates  or  bars. 


The  ferry  was  estal)lished  not  long  after  the 
first  settlements,  with  Robert  Burrows  ferry- 
man.    At  one  time  there  appears  to  have  been 


MASON    MOM  .MKNl 

a  ferry  from  the  half  way  house  (so  called)  at 
the  narrows,  over  to  where  the  Elm  Grove 
cemetery  \vw\  is  :  but  the  chief  route  was  from 
the  west  side  of  tlie  river  across  to  Pistol  Point 
on  the  Stonington  side  from  whence  the  road 
continued  through  that  town.     This  old  route 


74 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


througli    from    New    London    is    said    to    have 
been  called  the  King's  Highway. 

In  1805,  Silas  Beebe  a  native  of  Waterford 
purchased  a  tract  of  land  and  located  at  Devil's 
Foot  Hill.  This  title  had  been  given  because 
of  the  natural  imprint  of  a  foot  in  a  rock  on 
the  hill.  The  piece  of  rock  as  blasted  some 
vears  ago  is  now  in  the  rooms  of  the  Countv 


STREET  Sf'EXE 

Historical  Society.  Mr.  LSeebe  married  Han- 
nah Rathbun,  sister  of  Capt.  Elisha  Rathbun 
then  living  east  near  the  river.  Later  on  he 
made  purchases  until  his  land  holdings 
amounted  to  nearly  three  hundred  acres, 
reaching  west  to  the  foot  of  Fort  Hill.  He 
was  a  sea  captain  and  was  engaged  in  the 
coasting  trade  from  1799  to  1830  when  he 
became  connected  with  Jedediah  Randall  in 
the  whaling  business.  The  cove  next  south 
of  Capt.  Beebe's  residence  by  common  con- 
sent bears  his  name.  His  first  wife  had  died 
and  in  1813  he  married  Nancy  Breed.  He  died 
May,  1863,  at  the  age  of  83. 

Jedediah  Randall  was  born  in  Norwich,  .\pril. 
1773,  and  moved  to  Mystic  in  1807.  His  wife 
was  Mary  Burrows,  daughter  of  Rev.  Silas 
Burrows,  who  owned  the  Fort  Hill  farm.  He 
located  at  the  ferry  landing  with  Capt.  Edward 
Packer  whose  wife  was  Prudence  Crarv  a  con- 
nection i)f  Air.  Randall.  .\  general  provision 
store  was  kept  here,  and  sea  going  vessels  were 
Iniilt  a  little  south  from  the  residence.  The 
trolley  power  buildings  stand  on  ,  these 
grounds.  Air.  Randall  purchased  from  Capt. 
Packer,    besides    the    buildings,    a    number    of 


acres,  extending  up  the  hill  where  the  Alystic 
and  Noank  library  building  is,  to  where  his 
son,  Isaac,  some  years  afterwards  built  his  res- 
idence. He  continued  the  store  business  and 
in  1810  began  building  vessels.  Mr.  Randall 
also  engaged  extensively  in  the  whaling  busi- 
ness until  he  retired  in  1834,  his  sons  succeed- 
ing him.  At  the  time  of  his  retirement  from 
business  he  was  the  wealthiest  resident  of 
Alvstic.      He  died  in  January,   1851. 

In  1805,  Amos  Clift,  a  sea  ca])tain  who  was 
b'orn  in  Preston,  purchased  the  farm  of  Na- 
than Burrows.  He  had  married  as  second  wife 
in  I7i;8,  Thankful  Denison,  daughter  of  Isaac 
and  Eunice  Williams  Denison  across  the  river 
in  Stonington,  who  was  also  a  cousin  of  his 
first  wife  Esther  Williams,  both  being  con- 
nections of  \\vi\  and  Sarah  Williams  the  suc- 
cessive wives  of  Nathan  Burrows.  The  farm 
extended  frnm  the  west  end  of  the  present 
trolley  and  draw  Ijridge,  north  along  the  river 
tc  land  of  Capt.  George  Eldredge,  a  noted 
river  and  coast  pilot,  whose  wife  was  Hannah 
Burrows,  a  niece  of  Nathan,  and  west  up  Pe- 
quot  Hill,  to  near  where  the  monument  now 
other  tract  of  land  next  west  of  this  of  George 
stands.      A    little    later    Capt.    Clift    bought    an- 


LOOKIXU   EA.ST  FHUM   THE  BRIlXiE 

Fish,  reaching  to  the  brook  west  of  Pequot  Hill. 
The  Burrows  house  was  taken  down  and  a 
new  one  1>uilt  around  the  chimney  which  was 
left  standing.  In  those  days  a  well  built  chim- 
ney with  the  large  fireplaces,  and  baking  oven 
was  an  important  feature.  The  house  still 
stands.     The  building  which   was  taken  down 


HISTORIC  GROrON 


75 


i.-  thought  to  have  been  built  by  the  grand- 
father of  Nathan,  who  was  John  2d,  grandson 
of  Robert  Burrows,  a  first  settler. 

At  the  time  the  chimney  was  built  the  Bur- 
rows farm  extended  from  the  trolle_\-  draw- 
bridge north  to  the  top  of  Great  Hill  by  the 
Peace  Meeting  grove,  and  west  from  these 
points  to  top  of  Pequot  Hill,  the  house  being 
quite  near  the  center.  It  is  a  tradition  in  the 
liurr(_i\vs  and  Packer  families,  which  the 
writer  also  heard  his  grandmother  relate  as 
fact,  that  after  the  great  snowstorm  in  the 
winter  ut  1740-41.  the  valley  east  of  the 
house  being  filled  with  snow  and  banked 
against  the  ledge  and  house.  Desire  Packer 
Burrows,  mother  of  .\athan,  slid  from  the 
chamber  window  of  the  residence  in  a  huge 
chopping  tray  over  the  river  to  near  the  Den- 
ison   mansion. 

.\nother  episode  related  by  the  same  per- 
son perhaps  it  may  be  pardonable  to  relate. 
In  one  of  his  voyages,  1807-08,  her  husband 
had  been  gone  so  long  without  Ijeing  heard 
from,  it  was  thought  by  some  that  he  was  lost 
at  sea,  but  she  had  believed  he  would  return. 
Her  father  Isaac  Denison  was  with  her.  A 
dog  which  Capt.  L'lift  had  left  at  home  com- 
menced barking  in  an  unusual  manner  one 
morning,  continually  looking  up  the  hill.  It 
kept  acting  so  strangely  that  her  father  said 
to  her:  "I  believe  Amos  is  coming  home,"  and 
before  noon  they  saw  him  riding  horseback 
down  the  old  bridle  path.  He  had  taken  a 
cargo  of  oil  and  fish  to  Bordeaux,  and  then 
taken  a  freight  for  Caracas.  Then  as  in  more 
recent  years  Venezuela  was  in  a  revolutionary 
state,  his  vessel  was  seized  antl  he  and  his 
crew  were  detained.  He  succeeded  in  clear- 
ing himself  and  crew  and  reaching  New  Lon- 
don. It  proved  to  be  an  unjust  seizure  and 
after  some  delay  they  were  indemnified. 

Nathan  Burrows  liad  made  two  trips  to  Bos- 
ton with  his  oxen  during  the  Re\'olution  with 
provisions  for  the  patriot  army.  His  brother 
John  was  an  officer  in  the  war.  He  moved  to 
Chenango  Co.,  New  York,  where  he  died  in 
1808.  at  the  age  of  sixty-four.  He  has  de- 
scendants in  New  York,  Rhode  Island  and 
Connecticut,    one    of   them    being   the    present 


prosecuting  attorney  for  the  town  of  Groton. 
Amos  Clift  died  in  1818  at  the  age  of  fifty,  the 
same  year  that  the  first  bridge  across  the  river 
was  being  built,  and  High  street  from  the 
New  London  road  to  Burnett's  Corners 
opened. 

RESIDENTS  IN    1800. 

Xorth  of  the  Burrows  farm,  mentioned,  was  that  of 
Elam  Burrows,  whose  wife  was  Sarah,  a  daughter  of 
Isaac  Denison.  Next  north  and  extending  west  over 
Pequot  Hill  were  the  farms  of  Sands  Fish,  and  wife 
Bridget  GaUup,  and  Roswell  Fish,  and  wife  Isabel 
Phelps.  North  from  them  were  Joseph  Park,  Jr., 
wife  Abigail  Ecclestone;  Beriah  Grant,  wife  Nancy 
Burrows;  and  William  Smith,  w-ife  Abigail  Willes. 
whose  mother  vvas  .Abigail  Park.  Joseph  Park  erected 
a  grist  mill  on  the  brook  near  his  residence.  North 
of  the  Smith  farm  was  land  of  Wait  and  Thomas 
Wells  in  the  Old  Mystic  section,  with  Rose  Mason 
(colored)    living  near  the   line. 

West  from  the  Smith  farm  were  the  farms  of  Paul 
Burrows,  wife  Catherine  Haley;  Samuel  Park,  wife 
Dolly  Chappell ;  Nathaniel  Park,  wife  Phebe  Burrows. 
West  from  these,  and  extending  over  to  the  north  end 
of  the  Flanders  road,  were  Shepherd  Cottrell,  wife 
Mar>-  Wilcox;  John  Branian,  wife  Polly  Park;  Den- 
nis Burnett,  wife  Polly  Noyes ;  Peter  Reed  (colored), 
wife  Irene,  on  land  of  Thomas  Wells;  and  Nathaniel 
Xilcs;  besides  Elisha  Nilcs,  and  wife  Sarah. 

South  from  the  Niles  land  was  the  farm  of  Holmes, 
Sylvester,  and  Philena  Walworth  (not  married)  whose 
father.  Sylvester  Walworth,  was  killed  in  the  battle  at 
Fort  Grisw^old  1781.  East,  and  between  their  farm  and 
Pequot  Hill,  was  Thomas  Fish  and  also  the  saw  and 
grist  mill  with  dwelling  house  then  owned  by  him  and 
later  by  Edward  McGuire  until  abandoned.  South 
from  the  Walworth  farm  was  that  of  Dea.  Simeon 
Smith,  wife  Eunice ;  east  and  also  south  of  him  the 
farm  of  George  Fish,  wife  Sarah  Hinckley;  and  on 
tlie  west  side  of  the  highway,  the  farm  with  lanyard 
of  Zobediah  Gates,  wife  Eunice  Packer;  second  wife 
Mercy  Denison. 

South  from  the  Gates  and  Smith  farms  were  Charles 
Card,  wife  Bethany;  Benjamin  Hall,  wife  Huldah ; 
Nathan  Mix,  wife  Phebe;  Baker  family  ;  Joseph  Crumb, 
wife  Eunice  Tift,  daughter  of  Solomon  Tift;  William 
Middleton,  wife  Lucy  Walworth,  daughter  of  Sylves- 
ter Walworth ;  Cheet  family ;  Moses  Latham,  wife 
Leonora  Smith ;  William  Latham,  wife  Sabra  Ash- 
bey;   he  was  wounded  in  the  battle  at  Fort  Griswold. 

On  the  Fort  Hill  farm,  living  south  of  the  present 
town  house,  was  Rev.  Silas  Burrows,  wife  Mary 
Smith,  second  wife  Phebe  (Denison)  Smith.  .\  little 
v/est  of  Fort  Hill  lived  Samuel  Edgcomb,  wife  Rachel 
Copp ;  and  also  Solomon  Tift,  wife  Eunice  Burrows. 
Both  of  these  men  were  in  the  battle  in  1781.  East 
from  the  Flanders  district,  along  the  New  London 
road  were  Charles  Packer,  wife  Abigail  Latham;  John 
Fish,  wife  Hannah  Brush ;  Elisha  Packer,  wife  Lucy 
Smith ;  Lodowick  Packer,  wife  Delight  ."Kshbey ;  Ma- 
son Packer,  wife  Amy  Burrow-s ;  Joseph  Packer, 
wife  Hannah  Packer;  George  Ashbey,  wife  Cathe- 
rine Packer;  Edward  Packer,  (land  sold  to  Jedediah 
Randall)  ;  and  Daniel  Burrows,  wife  Kesia  Rhodes. 

East  of  Fort  Hill  and  south  of  the  New  London 
road,  Sylvester  Clark,  wife  Abby  Gates;  Ebenezer 
Fish,  wife  Lydia  Fish;  (one  of  the  name  of  Ebenezer 
Fish  was  in  the  battle  of  September,  1781,  .Allen's 
History);   Chester  Fitch,  wife  Deborah  Packer;   Sam- 


76 


HISTORIC  G  HO  TON 


uel  Burrows,  Lemuel  Burrows,  wife  \ancy ;  Daniel 
Eldredge,  wife  Pliebe ;  he  was  in  tlie  battle  at  Fort 
Griswold;  Joseph  Ashbey,  wife  Mary  Burrows;  El- 
dredge Packer,  wife  Sabrina  Packer;  Guy  E.  Burrows, 
wife  Fanny  Eldredge;  John  Packer,  wife  Hannah  Gal- 
lup; he  was  in  war  of  the  Revolution;  Joshua  Packer, 
wife  Phebe  Packer;  and  on  the  Noank  line,  Levi  Spi- 
cer,  wife   Prudence  Palmer. 

At  the  south  part  of  Goat  Point  was  Latham  Fitch, 
wife  Waity  Burrows ;  Elisha  Rathbun,  wife  Lucre- 
tia  Parker;  next  north,  Nathan  Ligham,  wife 
Experience  Fish.  North  of  that  section  was  Isaac 
Park,  wife  Mary  Billinghaas ;  Benjamin  Packer,  wife 
Mary  Middleton ;  David  Lewis,  wife  Lydia  Tift;  Ca- 
leb Tufts,  wife  Rebecca  Burrows ;  William  Murphy, 
wife  Mary  Park ;  William  Douglass,  wife  Ann ;  Jo- 
seph Park,  wife  Lucy  Packer;  Asa  Willis,  wife  Debo- 
rah Burrows ;  Daniel  Packer,  wife  Hannah  Burrows ; 
he  lived  where  his  great  grandson,  Charles  C.  Packer, 
now  lives.  South  from  the  residence,  vessels  had  been 
built.  Next  north  was  Elani  Packer,  wife  Catherine 
Fidias. 

North  of  the  ferry  landing  was  the  residence  of  An- 
thony Wolfe,  wife  Mary  Eldredge.  He  was  in  the 
war  of  the  Revolution.  In  the  house  east  of  the  Na- 
tional Bank  building  was  Jonathan  Wheeler,  wife 
Nancy  Thompson.  His  father,  Lester  Wheeler,  was 
in  the  war  of  the  Revolution  and  also  her  fatlier,  Wm. 
1  hompson.  When  the  bridge  was  built  in  1818  this 
house  was  owned  by  Ambrose  H.  Grant,  wife  Philura 
Brown :  east  of  the  residence  was  an  open  cove  run- 
ning up  to  where  the  Episcopal  church  building  now 
stands.  The  cove  was  mostly  tilled  tliirty  years  ago 
with  gravel  floated  in  on  scows  of  Capt.  Thos.  Wil- 
liams, worked  by  Daniel  Fisher. 

Tliis  list  of  re.sidences  at  that  period  is  be- 
lieved to  be  fairly  accurate ;  there  may  be  a  few 
iinintentionally  left  out.  Assistance  has  been 
given  by  some  wlio  have  knowledge  of  their 
ancestors. 

With  the  bridge  across  the  river  and  the 
opening  of  High  street,  \\'est  Mystic  began  to 
grow  as  a  village.  Being  directly  connected 
with  the  east  side  of  the  river  there  was  also  a 
corresponding  growth  of  population  on  each 
side.  The  building  of  vessels  of  different 
grades  and  sizes  which  engaged  in  fishery  and 
merchant  trade  with  nearby  and  distant  ports, 
owned  and  manned  by  residents,  together  with 
the  whaling  business  caused  a  raj^id  growth 
for  a  time. 

The  highway  from  the  west  end  of  the 
bridge  around  by  the  machine  works  to  the 
New  London  ruad  was  opened  when  the 
bridge  was  built.  The  road  between  Mystic 
and  Noank  was  opened  in  1833.  The  ri\-er 
road  from  West  Mystic  to  Old  ;\Iystic  was 
opened  in  1853.  The  road  on  the  east  side 
of  the  river  to  Old  Mystic  is  older.  The  higli- 
way  Ircim   High  street  towards  Centre  Groton 


known  as  the  Alden  Fish  road,  the  \\'est 
Mystic  avenue,  Pequot  Hill  avenue  and  then 
the  Roswell  Brown  road  from  the  Alden  Fish 
road  through  to  the  Noank  road  followed  in 
succession.  Besides  these  there  are  a  ntimber 
I'f  short  routes  and  cross  streets  which  have 
been  opened.  The  post  office  on  the  west  side 
was  called  Portersville  for  a  number  of  years 
iintil  about  1844.  it  was  changed  to  Mystic 
River. 

In  1848  the  three  Ijrothers  Isaac,  William, 
and  Silas  B.  Randall  with  Wm.  W  Smith, 
-Xathan  Chapman  and  Leonard  W  .  Morse 
formed  and  started  the  '"  Reliance  .Machine 
Company,"  the  first  of  dimensions  in  the  town 
of  (iroton.  They  built  up  a  large  business 
which  nourished  until  the  Ci\il  war  came  on. 
The  business  was  largely  in  cotton  gins  and 
machinery  for  the  southern  states.  Slow  pay- 
ments for  their  goods  at  that  time  embarrassed 
them,  and  the  company  was  obliged  to  suc- 
cumb. Machine  business  has  been  continued 
here  and  the  extensive  fire  proof  btiildings  t)f 
the  Standard  AFachinery  Company  imw  doing 
a  large  business  occupy  the  same  grounds. 
'I'he  tract  of  land  east  of  West  Mystic  depot 
being  connected  with  both  depot  and  river, 
has  rare  business  facilities,  liefore  and  dur- 
ing the  war,  ship  building  was  carried  on 
here  by  the  firm  of  Maxson,  Fish  and  Co. 
which  included  vessels   for  the  government. 

The  Holmes  Motor  Works  now  located 
near  the  former  shi])yard  are  doing  an  exten- 
sive business  in  building  fine  yachts  e<|uipped 
with  engines  of  their  own  manufacture.  .\ 
new'  firm  has  recently  started  business  here 
east  of  the  depot,  under  the  name  of  \\'est 
.Mystic  Manufacturing  Co.  They  are  build- 
ing boats  and  motors.  The  Ciilbert  Transpor- 
tation Co.  with  large  shipping  interests,  which 
located  in  M_\-stic  within  a  few  years,  have  a 
yard  for  building  and  repairing  south  of  Main 
street,  by  the  west  end  of  the  bridge.  They 
are  also  now  occupying  the  former  shi|)yard 
on  the  south  side  of  Pistol  Point,  east  of  the 
river,  where  they  are  fniilding  vessels.  They 
have  furnished  employment  for  manv  jiersons. 
The  large  four-story  lilock  for  stores  and 
offices  erected  by  them  is  a  decided  ornament 
to  the  village. 


HISTORIC   GKOTON 


n 


On  the  west  side  of  I'earl  street  b.\-  the  ledge 
there  was  formerly  located  a  manufactory  for 
wagons,  carriages,  etc.,  by  Charles  Johnson 
and  Elisha  Denison.  Hcsides  the  local  trade, 
business  wagons  were  shipped  through  agents 
to  California  during  the  gnld  discovery  period. 
Later  the  buildings  burned  down.  The  Mystic 
(n-anite  and  Marl)le  Co..  of  AlcGaughey  Bros., 
anil  alsi)  the  .McKin  blacksmith  works,  are  now 
located  on  the  grounds.  A  little  north  of  this 
is    the    carriage    shoji   of   Charles    11.   Johnsi.in, 


business  from  before  California  times  until  af- 
ter the  war  period.  East  from  the  shop  was 
the  Randall  store  managed  by  Dwight  Ashbey, 
south  from  the  blacksmith  was  the  store  of 
Simeon  Fish  and  Son  for  many  years,  and  then 
|.  T.  llattv.  County  Commissii:)ner,  south  of 
the  store  the  coal  yards  of  Benjamin  Burrows, 
and  further  along  by  the  river  where  now  is 
the  Kelsy  Coal  Co.,  there  had  been  for  some 
\-ears  a  store  kept  by  Joseph  S.  A\ery.  West 
from    the    Burrows   coal   yard,   by   the    Xoank 


THE    ITHLU     LIKK.\RV 

a  son  of  the  former  builder.  \\'est  of  this 
K.  Marston  formerl}-  worked  the  cpiarry  and 
also  had  monumental  works. 

Near  the  north  end  of  Pearl  street  liefore 
the  Civil  war,  was  a  shipyard  where  a  num- 
ber of  vessels  were  built  b}'  John  A.  Forsyth 
and  E.  ATorgan.  This  is  now  occupied  bv  res- 
idences and  by  the  Cheney  Cdobe  Works.  On 
tlic  location  where  now  stands  the  office  build- 
ing of  the  drotou  anrl  Stonington  Trolley  Co., 
L)-man   Dudley-   did  an   extensive     blacksmith 


road  is  Lhainnan's  l)lacksmith  and  repair 
shop.  South  from  this  on  the  corner  across 
the  street  in  1850  was  the  store  of  .Albert  G. 
Stark,  in  which  was  the  Mystic  River  post 
office.  .\  little  to  the  rear  of  the  blacksmith 
shop  at  that  time  was  an  hotel,  since  burneil 
down. 

Main  street,  from  the  bridge  west,  is  now 
the  chief  thoroughfare  for  stores  and  offices. 
(  hi  the  north  side  next  to  the  bridge  is  River- 
side Ijlcjck,   Central   Hall  building  with  stores 


78 


HISTORIC  GEO  TON 


and  dffices.  the  drug  store  which  Dr.  F.  M. 
?\Ianning  occupied  a  half-century  ago,  and  in 
the  next  building  at  that  time  was  the  hat  and 
cap  furnishing  store  of  Chesebro  and  Davis. 
Then  the  I.  W.  Denison  &  Co.  lilock,  where 
had  been  A.  G.  Wolf,  blacksmith  ;  the  Ketch- 
um  block,  Buckley's  block  with  hall,  at  the 
east  end  of  which  stood  the  shop  and  office 
of  the  spar  and  block  contractors,  ^\"illiam, 
John  and  Oliver  Ratty,  who  kept  the  cove 
which  then  extended  from  their  building 
nearly  to  where  the  Episcopal  church  building 
now  stands, — well  filled  with  spars  for  masts, 
etc.,  of  various  sizes.  It  was  in  their  shop 
building,  then  vacated,  that  S.  H.  I'.ucklev 
was  supplying  meats  fifty  years  ago.  At  that 
time,  next  west  was  A.  C.  Tift's  dry  goods 
store  and  the  present  Kretser  store  building. 
Further  west  is  the  National  Bank  building, 
established  over  a  half-century.  \\'est  of  this 
is  \N.  E.  Wheeler's  block,  where  then  was 
Roswell  Brown's  livery  stal)le,  north  of  which 
was  the  village  bakery. 

On  the  south  side  of  the  street,  where  now 
is  the  bakery,  a  half-century  ago  D.  A.  Hall 
had  a  grocery  store.  East  is  Brown's  block, 
the  Braman  block,  Avery's  block,  Watrous' 
block,  Edgcomb's  block,  and  the  store  build- 
ing where  D.  N.  Prentice  then  had  a  grocery 
store  with  L.  A.  ]\Iorgan,  now  an  owner  in  Cen- 
tral Hall  block  and  other  interests,  as  clerk.  Xe.xt 
comes  the  Gilbert  block  with  stores,  offices, 
and  a  public  hall,  their  building  extending  to 
the  river.  Besides  these  there  is  also  the 
P'earl  street  grocerv,  farther  north  in  the  y\\- 
lage. 

In  1850  the  only  stores  on  Main  St.  west  of 
the  bridge  were :  On  the  north  side,  Elam 
Eldredge  and  Eldredge  Wolfe's  market,  F. 
M.  Manning's  drug  store,  O.  D.  Xoj-es'  fur- 
nishing store  and  .A.  C.  Tift's  dry  goods  store; 
on  the  south  side  were  Thomas  Williams' 
paint  shop,  Martin  Lawson,  tin  shop,  and  D. 
X.  Prentice,  groceries.  In  the  present  G.  A. 
R.  building  on  Pearl  St.  was  the  undertaking 
and  repair  shop  of  D.  D.  Edgcomb  and  Gil- 
bert ]\Iorgan.  A  short  distance  north  were 
Thomas  and  Jesse  Lamphere,  dealers  in  fish 
and  oysters.  At  the  same  period  the  Messrs. 
Gallup  brothers,  James,  John  and  Benadam,  car- 


]ienters,  had  a  sliijp  and  lumljcr  yard  on  the  east 
side  of  Gravel  St.  Previous  to  1850,  Amos  Clift, 
then  in  California,  had  been  a  builder  with  a  shop 
on  the  hill  where  his  father  had  built  his  resi- 
dence in  1805.  At  this  time  and  later,  Henry 
Latham,  an  old  resident  was  also  in  the  carpen- 
ter business,  his  shop  being  south  of  the  Xew 
London  road.  Also  there  were  Gurdnn  S.  Al- 
len and  Reuben  and  Roswell  Chapman.  .\  lit- 
tle later  were  C.  E.  Tufts,  J.  R.  Stark  and  J. 
S.  Heath,  with  Calvin  Cromwell,  all  of  whom 
l.ave  passed  away.  Connected  with  these 
builders,  who  still  remain,  were  F.  B.  Mayo, 
.\ustin  Gallup  and  E.  R.  Wiliams,  Civil  war 
veterans.  On  the  east  side  some  younger  and 
still  active,  there  remain  \\'illiam  Murphy  and 
Hiram  Clift.  Soon  after  1850  and  for  many 
years  Asa  A.  Avery  and  son  Allen  conducted 
an  undertaker's  and  furniture  business  on 
Main  St.  It  should  be  remembered  that  in 
those  days  there  were  master  mechanics  in 
mason  work,  Lanman,  Denison  anil  Xelson 
Lamb,  Xathan  Lamb  and  Edwin  and  William 
Slack. 

The  village  is  so  connected  that  business  on 
either  side  afifects  the  other.  (  )n  the  east  side 
a  half-century  ago  and  earlier  the  shipyards 
of  George,  Clark  and  Thomas  Greennian :  of 
Charles  Alallory  with  Mason  C.  Hill,  foreman  ; 
and  of  Dexter  Irons  and  (leorge  Grinnell. 
\\'ere  each  driving  business.  At  the  time  when 
ship  building  was  prosperous  there  were  two 
sail  lofts ;  one  on  the  east  side  of  the  ri\-er  con- 
ducted by  Isaac  D.  Clift,  David  \\'eems  and 
Ebenezer  Beebe ;  and  on  the  west  side  by 
Gro\er  G.  King  and  Griswold  Beebe.  D.  O. 
Richmond  and  Charles  Eldredge  were  boat 
builders.  Edwin  R.  Gallup,  tailor,  was  post- 
master. The  lumber  yards  of  Joseph  Cottrell, 
and  coal  yards  of  Isaac  D.  Holmes  were  the 
Lhief  sources  of  sup])ly  for  those  necessities. 
The  stores  were  those  of  1.  W.  Hcnisun  &  Co. 
where  Thomas  C.  Forsyth,  since  master  of 
merchant  vessels,  was  clerk.  This  store  had 
lieen  that  of  Hoxsie  and  Palmer ;  Asa  Fish,  who 
was  probate  judge  for  Stonington,  and  D.  D. 
Mallory  &  Co.  Besides  these  there  was  a  con- 
fectionery store  kept  by  the  bridge  tender  at 
the  east  end  of  the  bridge,  also  one  under  the 
old    hotel.      The    bridge    was    freed    from    toll 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


79 


rates  in  1855.     T.  E.  Packer  and  Charles  Den- 
i^on   were  insurance  agents. 

On  the  east  side  in  Greenmanville  section, 
there  is  a  large  woiilen  factory,  the  Mystic 
Manufacturing  Co.,  which  has  been  doing 
business  man}-  years;  and  also  the  extensive 
Rossie  Velvet  Mill  works.  A  little  to  the 
north  of  these  are  monumental  works,  and 
Drown's  twine  and  rope  factory.  Not  far 
north  of  the  bridge,  by  the  river  side,  is  the 
manufactory  of  James  W.  Lathrop  Co..  doing 
a  large  business  in  motor  engines  for  all  spe- 
cies of  power.  On  Pistol  Point  is  the  spool 
factory.  East  from  the  depot  is  Packer's  tar 
soap  factory  and  storehouse;  and  a  little  be- 
yond, across  the  cove,  is  the  large,  new  building 
of  the  Industrial  Co.'s  Ninigret  Mills.  .South 
from  them  is  the  \\'ilcox  Fertilizer  Works, 
now  well  established.  There  are  two  grain 
stores  on  the  east  side  of  the  river.  The  G.  E. 
Tripp's  block,  the  Gates  and  X'cwbury  block, 
and  the  Hotel  Hoxie  building  contain  stores 
and  offices.  The  hotel  was  built  by  Messrs. 
Tufts  and  Stark  about  i860  for  Mr.  B.  F. 
Hoxie.  It  stands  on  the  site  of  a  former  hotel, 
which  was  owned  by  Capt.  Nathaniel  Clift. 
The  Shore  Line  hotel  is  south  of  this,  and 
across  the  street,  west  from  tlie  Shore  Line,  is 
the  auto  repair  shop.  The  Cottrell  Lumber 
Co.  occupies  the  old  lund^er  yards,.  'There 
was  formerly  a  sash  and  blind  factory  near 
the  yard.  There  was  also  a  large  machine 
shop  built  on  Pistol  Point,  which  was  unsuc- 
cessful and  was  changed  to  a  woolen  mill,  but 
finally   was  liurned  down. 

On  the  east  side  there  are  now  three  church 
buildings.  The  Methodist  Episcopal  church 
v,-as  organized  in  1835.  The  first  pastor  was 
Rev.  William  S.  Simmons.  The  present  pastor 
if  Rev.  C.  T.  Hatch.  The  Congregational 
church  was  organized  in  1852.  The  first  pastor 
was  Rev.  \\alter  R.  Long.  The  present  pastor 
i;  Rev.  F.  A.  Earnshaw.  St.  Patrick's  Ro- 
man Catholic  church  was  organized  with  Rev. 
P.  P.  Lalor  first  pastor  in  1870.  The  present 
pastor  is  Rev.  C.  A.  Leddy.  This  church  has 
recently  dedicated  a  new  temple  of  worship. 
A  Seventh  Day  Baptist  church  was  organized 
at  Greenmanville,  on  the  east  side,  in  1850 
with  Rev.  Sherman  S.  Griswold,  pastor  for  a 


number  of  years.  He  was  a  popular  clergyman 
in  the  village,  although  quite  outspoken  on  po- 
litical subjects,  but  that  was  an  era  of  decided 
opinions.  The  church  ceased  as  a  public  or- 
ganization three  years  since.  The  last  pastor 
was  Re\".  ( ).  D.  Sherman. 

The  first  organized  church  within  the  lim- 
its of  West  Mystic,  was  the  Second  Baptist 
church  ci{  Grottin.  It  was  under  the  leadership 
ot  Rev.  Silas  Burrows.  The  meetings  were 
held  mostly  at  his  dwelling  house  on  Fort  Hill 
from  1765  until  after  the  war,  when  a  house 
I  if  worship  was  built  on  the  crown  of  the  hill 
north  from  his  residence,  and  known  as  the 
Fort  Hill  church.  There  occurred  a  number 
of  special  revival  seasons  under  his  pastorate 
and  that  of  his  son.  Rev.  Roswell  Burrows, 
who  succeeded  him.  The  father  died  in  1818 
at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  and  the  son  in 
1837,  aged  sixty-nine  years.  Both  of  these 
pioneers  of  the  church  rest  in  the  yard  on  the 
crest  of  the  hill  by  the  scene  of  their  labors. 

Rev.  Ira  R.  Steward  followed  as  pastor  un- 
til in  1844,  ^  'lew  hinise  of  worship  was  built 
at  Mystic.  Si.nnc  of  the  members  had  be- 
come connected  with  new  churches  started  at 
Groton  Bank  and  Noank.  Another  church 
was  already  established,  at  West  Mystic, 
known  as  the  Alariners'  Free  church,  which 
was  for  a  time  alternately  occupied  bv  minis- 
ters of  different  denominations  and  later  be- 
came the  Third  Baptist  church.  The  two 
houses  of  worship  were  not  many  rods  apart 
and  in  1861  the  churches  became  united,  and 
the  buildings  were  connected  by  moving  the 
Third  church  building  a  little  to  the  rear,  and 
moving  that  of  the  Second  clunxh  up  to  the 
front  of  it.  They  became  the  Union  Baptist 
church,  and  the  house  was  dedicated  Oct.  9, 
1862. 

.\fter  the  removal  from  Fort  Hill  to  the  new- 
house  of  worship  in  ^Mystic,  Rev.  Henry  R. 
Knapp  was  pastor  of  the  Second  church  five 
years ;  Rev.  \\'ashington  Munger  three  vears ; 
Rev.  Harvey  Silliman  two  years;  Rev.  T-  M. 
Phillips  four  years ;  with  supplies  following 
his  pastorate  until  the  union.  Rev.  Erastus 
Denison  was  the  first  pastor  of  the  Third 
church  for  two  years,  and  was  followed  by 
Rev.   John    H.    Baker   in    1837   for   two   years. 


8o 


HISTORIC  G  NO  TON 


Rev.  Erastus  Dcnisoii  was  again  pastor  from 
April,  i83(j.  until  April,  1848;  Rev.  Simon  11. 
Bailey,  about  two  years;  Rev.  Franklin  A. 
Slater,  three  years;  Re\'.  J.  L.  Ilolnian  one 
year,  and  Re^'.  \\illiam  Cathcart  about  three 
years.  Rev.  Asa  C.  Bronson  succeeded  in 
iNlay,  1858,  until  the  two  churches  united,  and 
lie  was  pastor  of  the  Union  church  until  his 
resignation,  taking  effect  April  i,  i86g.  Rev. 
George  L.  Hunt  was  pastor  from  Jan.  2,  1870, 
iintil  Jan.  2,  1881  ;  Rev.  Charles  H.  Rowe  from 
Oct.  1881  to  1884;  Rev.  George  H.  Miner 
from  July,  1884,  to  May,  1893;  Rev.  Archi- 
bald AN'heaton  from  September,  1893,  to  Sep- 
tend)er,  1900;  Rev.  Byron  Ulric  Hatfield  from 


died.  In  July,  1896,  Elias  F.  ^\'ilcox,  John  G. 
Packer  and  Louis  P.  Allyn  were  elected  dea- 
cons. 

St.  Mark's  Episcopal  cluirch  was  organized 
as  a  parish  in  February,  1865,  Rev.  Lorenzo 
Sears,  rector;  Daniel  W.  Denison,  senior 
warden ;   Roswell    Brown,  junior   warden. 

Rev.  Mr.  Sears  was  rector  until  April,  1866, 
ynd  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  W.  Ingram  Ma- 
gill,  who  was  rector  from  July,  1866,  until 
October,  1869.  He  was  followed  by  Rev.  O.  F. 
Starkey  from  December,  1869,  until  Decem- 
ber, 1872,  and  Rev.  J.  D.  S.  Pardee  from  Jan- 
uary, 1873,  to  May,  1881.  During  his  rector- 
ship tlie  church  being  free  from  debt  was  con- 


El'ISCOl'AL  CHIKCH  AND  STREKT  SCENE 


December,  1900,  to  March,  1904;  Re\-.  Wel- 
come E.  Bates,  the  present  pastor,  since  July, 
1904. 

The  deacons  of  the  Second  church  previous 
to  the  union  were  Elisha  Rathbun,  Albert 
Edgeconib,  \\  illiam  11.  Potter,  Dudley  Chese- 
bro.  Those  of  the  Third  church  were  H.  N. 
Fish,  Nathan  (].  Fish,  George  X.  Wright, 
Lanman  Lamb.  The  Union  Baptist  church 
continued  X.  G.  F'ish,  Albert  Edgcomb,  \\'.  H. 
Potter  and  G.  X.  Wright.  In  i8()8  there  were 
chosen  as  deacons  Horace  Clift,  William  11. 
Smith,  John  Gallup  and  Leander  Wilcox.  In 
1882  the  first  named  of  these  resigned  the  a]j- 
pointment.  In  April,  1886,  Robert  P.  Wilbur, 
J.  .\lden  l\athl)un  and  John  O.  I-"ish  were 
elected.  Deacons  W  ni.  II.  Potter,  John  ( lal- 
luj),  Leander  Wilcox  and  J.  O.  I'ish  have  since 


secrated  by  Ilishop  Williams,  April  25,  1873, 
im  St.  Mark's  day.  Re\'.  W.  1'".  Bielby  was 
rector  three  years ;  Rev.  J.  A.  Ticknor  one  year ; 
Rev.  Samuel  Hall  one  year ;  Rev.  Joseph 
Hooper,  six  years;  Rev.  H.  L.  Mitchell,  two 
years;  Rev.  Eugene  Griggs,  three  years;  Rev. 
11.  L.  Mitchell,  three  years;  Rev.  A.  C  Jones, 
the  ])resent  rector,  se\'en  years. 

The  iMrst  Church  of  Christ,  .Scientist,  Miss 
Grace  W  .  lulick,  first  reader,  and  Charles 
H.  Latham,  second  reader,  ha\c  a  hall  in  (!il- 
hert's  block.  Regular  services  are  held  Sun- 
day morning  and  Wednesday  e\ening.  The 
reading  room  is  open  daily. 

Before  the  steam  cars  were  running,  freight 
vas  lirought  in  vessels,  and  about  1850  there 
were  regular  lines  of  sloops  running  to  New 
^'ork,  and  to  New  London  and  Norwich. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


8 1 


It  can  be  seen  that  Mystic  has  become  quite 
a  business  centre,  and  there  appears  no  rea- 
son why  it  should  not  continue.  It  is  cen- 
trall}'-  located  between  New  York  and  Boston. 
It  has  a  good  ri\'er  channel  connection  with 
the  sound  and  ocean.  The  .Shore  Line  rail- 
rc^ad  depots  are  convenient  for  business,  tra\'el 
and  shipments.  The  finishing  touch  for  con- 
\enience  of  travel  has  come  with  the  Groton 
and  Stonington  Trolley  Company,  with  ex- 
press cars  for  freight,  .\lthough  it  ma_v  not 
be  classed  an  ideal  section  for  high  grade 
farming,  there  being  some  rocks  and  ledges, 
yet  extra  good  crops  of  grain,  fruit  and  ber- 
ries have  been  raised.  It  has,  in  cpiitc  recent 
years,  been  somewhat  noted  for  blooded  cat- 
tle. There  are  streaks  of  good  granite  in  a 
number  of  ledges  in  the  village  limits,  which 
have  been  used   for  1)uil(Iing  purposes. 

It  is  a  satisfaction  to  know  that  liy  the  liber- 
ality of  a  gentleman  of  large  wealth,  who  has 
located  in  the  town,  the  old  highway  from 
Mystic  o\'er  l''orl  Hill  and  through  l'o(|uon- 
nock  is  to  be  graded  and  macadamized.  This 
is  not  the  only  instance  of  his  generosity. 
Now  in  the  prime  of  life,  it  is  hoped  that  he 
may  enjoy  a  serene  old  age  with  abundant 
resources  and  a  continuous  will  to  help  im- 
prove and  adorn  the  town. 

■Changes  are  going  on.  They  ntay  appear 
hardh'  perceptible  at  first,  but  after  the  lapse 
of  time  they  show  out  distinctlv.  In  1800, 
and  for  a  quarter  of  a  century  later,  the  Flan- 
ders school  district  was  one  of  the  largest  in 
numbers  of  any  in  the  town.  .-\t  that  time  the 
Fort  Hill  church  outnumbered  others.  It 
was  the  central  place  of  worship  for  a  large 
section  of  the  town. 

During  the  pastorate  of  Rev.  Roswell  Bur- 
rows, from  1809  to  1837,  more  than  700  had 
joined  that  church.  The  place  of  baptism  for 
that  section  was  not  far  north  on  the  Flanders 
road.  It  was  on  the  east  side  of  the  highway, 
northeast  of  the  present  residence  of  Mr.  Ira 
Mosher,  and  just  north  of  where  then  stood 
the  home  of  Nathan  and  Phebe  Mix.  .\  deep 
cut  drain  under  the  highway  drains  ofif  the 
pond,  but  the  basin  in  the  meadow  shows 
where  it  was.    In  those  days  a  baptismal  scene 


was  one  of  the  chief  events,  and  this  location 
being  near  the  centre  of  the  present  town 
limits,  there  would  l)e  a  large  assemblage 
from  all  directions.  Now  the  scenes  have 
changed,  the  population  and  the  churches  are 
elsewhere.  To  those  who  cherish  sentiment, 
who  are  descendents  nf  those  worshippers, 
the  old  route  from  the  meeting  house  to  the 
baptistry,  used  for  over  half  a  centurv.  seems 
hke  consecrated  ground. 

The  Mystic  River  National  ISank  com- 
menced business  in  November.  1851,  with 
Charles  Mallory  president.  The  Groton  Sav- 
ings Bank  commenced  liusiness  in  1854  with 
Nathan  G.  I-'ish,  president ;  and  the  National 
Bank  of  IMystic  Bridge  (east  side  of  the 
river)  was  organized  in  1864,  with  Charles 
r\[allory,   president. 

In  the  first  half  r,f  the  last  century  the  local 
physicians  were  jdhn  (.).  Mfjier  of  Centre 
Groton,  Mason  Manning  of  Old  Mystic,  and 
Benjamin  F.  Stoddard.  A  half  century  ago 
they  were  E.  h'rank  Coates,  .Mfred  A.  Coates, 
John  (jra_\-  and  .\.  W.  Brdwn,  and  of  those 
who  studied  and  practised  with  them,  Oscar 
M.  Barber  and  Frank  A.  Coates. 

The  .generations  which  preceded,  did  not 
have  present  da_\"  school  ad\'antages;  veryjew 
liad  wealth,  yet  as  a  community  of  intelligence 
and  worthiness,  their  descendents  may  justly 
honor  their  memories.  The  ])ul)lic  schools 
in  the  village  are  graded.  On  the  east  side 
(Stonington  district)  a  fine  new  school  house 
is  being  erected.  In  West  Mystic,  Prof.  A.  L. 
Pitcher  is  principal  with  an  able  corps  of  as- 
sistant teachers.  For  several  years  a  teacher 
of  drawing  has  been  employed,  A'liss  Francis 
E.  Nye,  who  has  gi\-en  general  satisfaction. 
The  "Mystic  Academ}'"  building  was  first  oc- 
cupied as  an  academy  by  John  L.  Denison, 
I'rincipal,  and  afterwards  purchased  by  the 
filth  school  district.  There  are  .-now  nine 
teachers  in  West  Mystic  schools,  one  of 'them 
being  in  the  Flanders  district.  In  1850  there 
were  four  teachers  in  all. 

One  of  the  events  at  that  period  was  a 
school  exhibition  during  the  winter  of  '49-50. 
I1  was  held  one  evening  in  the  school  house, 
whi«:-h-stood  a  few  rods  north  of  the  Baptist 
church    building,    on    the    second    floor,     which 


82 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


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HISTORIC  GROTON 


S3 


was  the  room  of  the  older  scholars,  with  Wil- 
liam H.  Potter  teacher.  Dudle.v  A.  Avery  was 
teacher  on  the  lower  floor.  It  was  the  time 
when  the  California  fever  was  raging,  with 
visions  of  staking  out  claims  and  panning  out 
the  gold  dust.  It  was  a  varied  programme  and 
the  crowded  building  shook  with  the  applause 
given  those  who  took  part.  The  teacher  was 
on  the  stage  and  being  a  little  apprehensive 
of  danger  retpiested  the  audience  to  be  quiet 
and  not  stamp  the  feet.  One  of  the  pieces 
rendered  was  a  popular  song  of  the  day  by 
Frank  L.  Dudley.  The  visitors,  some  of  whom 
were  soon  to  sail  for  the  land  of  gold,  could 
not  suppress  their  enthusiasm  and  joined  in 
the  chorus : 

"Oh,  California!  Oh.  tliat's  tlie  place  for  me! 
I'm   bound    for    Cahfornia    with    my    washbowl    on    my 
knee." 

He  was  closing  up  the  song  with  "wash- 
bowl" in  hand  and  the  chorus  was  making  the 
welkin  ring,  when  the  floor  began  to  settle, 
letting  them  all  down  amid  much  confusion 
and  outcries.  The  stage  also  dropped  in  front, 
thus  sliding  most  of  the  audience  to  the  lower 
floor.  No  one  was  seriously  hurt.  The  exhibi- 
tion was  afterwards  repeated  in  a  conference 
house  with  a  fee  to  helj)  pa_\-  the  cost  of  re- 
pairs. 

The  Oral  School  for  the  Deaf,  located  on 
the  hill  near  the  north  line  of  \\'est  Mystic. 
is  a  useful  and  successful  institution.  It  re- 
ceives regular  appropriations  from  the  state. 
The  pupils  have  recently  numbered  between 
forty  and  fifty. 

The  L'niversal  Peace  Snciet\-  hold  their  an- 
nual meetings  in  their  grove  on  "Great  Hill," 
which  is  south  from  the  Oral  school  grounds. 
These  meetings  are  largely  attended  and  no 
doubt  are  productive  of  good.  There  may  be 
differences  with  some  of  the  views  expressed  ; 
but  no  person  can  doubt  the  sincerity  of  the 
advocates,  nor  the  merits  of  the  cause. 

The  Mystic  and  Xoank  Library  was  found- 
ed in  1892.  The  librar_\-  corporation  was  form- 
ed in  1893  and  consists  of  five  trustees.  This 
large  and  elegant  structtire  was  the  gift  of 
Capt.  Elihu  Spicer.  Some  years  ago  he  also 
purchased  a    farm    home    fur    the    dependent 


ones  of  the  town.  He  has  passed  from  us,  but 
his  liberality  should  not  be  forgotten. 

During  the  war  of  1812-14,  the  people  along 
the  coast  were  harassed  by  the  British  fleet. 
Conunodore  Hardy's  men,  besides  their  expe- 
rience at  Stonington,  also  found  their  equals 
in  this  vicinity.  During  the  year  1813.  the 
sloop  I'"ox,  Capt.  Jesse  Crary,  was  capturetl. 
Within  a  few  weeks  more  than  twenty  Amer- 
ican sails  were  captured.  Capt.  Crary  had 
escaped,  and  immediately  planned  for  the  re- 
capture of  his  vessel.  The  sloop  Hero  was 
fitted  out  from  Mystic  with  a  privateer's 
commission,  Ambrose  H.  Llurrows,  captain. 
They  were  provided  with  a  four-pounder,  fire- 
arms and  ammunition.  Before  reaching  Block 
Island  they  saw  the  Fox  standing  in  with 
double  reef.  She  came  within  two  miles  of  the 
Hero  when  she  l)ecanie  suspicious,  tacketl 
ship  and  ran  off.  Both  sloops  were  built  by 
Fldredge  Packer  at  \Vest  Mystic  and  were 
fast  vessels.  The  I'^ox  was  furnished  with  a 
six  ])ounder.  but  the  Hero  keeping  on  her  lee, 
she  could  not  bring  it  to  bear.  The  guns 
of  the  Hero  soon  forced  the  Fox  to  change 
her  Course,  and  as  she  wore  around,  the  Herw 
ran  her  bowsprit  through  the  Fox's  niaitisail; 
tiiey  then  grappled  and  fought  hand  to  hand, 
'{"he  battle  ended  just  at  evening  with  a  vic- 
tory for  the  Hero.  It  took  place  the  last  day 
of  April,  about  ten  miles  southeast  of  Block 
Island.  The  next  morning  while  the  British 
were  in  hot  purstiit  the  Hero  and  Fox  passed 
triumphantly  up  the  ri\er.  The  victors  were 
mostly  young  men,  and  a  number  of  thein  be- 
came masters  of  merchant  vessels. 

In  June  the  enemy  had  captured  and  de- 
stroyed a  sloop  near  the  mouth  of  the  river, 
and  atteinpted  to  ca])ture  Capt.  Jeremiah  1  la- 
lev's  sloop,  which  had  grounded  on  Ram 
Point,  but  they  were  driven  off.  The  location 
known  as  Fort  Rachel,  a  natural  fortification 
of  rock  on  its  east  and  south  sides,  a  short 
distance  south  from  the  ferry,  was  manned  as 
a  defence  by  the  citizens.  A  company  had  been 
fonued,  and  Jonathan  Wheeler  the  village 
fdacksmith,  was  chosen  captain.  It  was  de- 
cided to  make  .the  attempt  to  capture  part  of 
the  British  fleet. 


84 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


A  barge  was  built  and  fitted  up  as  a  decoy, 
loaded  with  barrels  and  boxes.  Capt.  Simeon 
Haley,  Paul  Ijurrows,  John  Washington.  Hen- 
ry Park  and  Ezekiel  Tufts  managed  her  so 
as  to  attract  attention  when  a  black  barge 
from  the  ileet  with  an  officer  and  a  dozen  men 
gave  chase.  After  some  manoeuvering  the  de- 
coy men  were  driven  ashore  at  Long  Point, 
west  of  Xoank,  and  fiercely  followed  up  the 
bank  by  the  P)ritish,  who  unexpectedly  met 
the   forces   under  Capt.   \\'heeler,   which   were 


ed,  and  the  atmosphere  was  one  nf  war  with 
the  tramp  of  armed  men  ready  lor  the  frav. 
Isaac  Park,  one  of  the  residents,  was  taken 
prisoner  while  otT  in  his  fishing  boat,  and  held 
on  board  the  frigate  se\'eral  days.  Learning 
that  he  was  a  pilot,  they  tried  to  force  him  to 
steer  their  barge  up  the  river  one  dark  night. 
He  api^arently  yielded  and  chose  an  hour 
when  it  was  cpiite  low  tide.  The  barge  was 
filled  with  men  supplied  with  weapons.  One 
of   them    kept    his   pistol   j^ninting  at    Park,   so 


VIEW  OF  SHIPYARD   FROM  THE  liRIIKiE 


lying  in  ambush.  .\t  the  first  fire  of  the  mili- 
tia, which  killed  one  and  wounded  others,  the 
pursuers  threw  up  their  hands  and  surrender- 
ed. They  were  taken  in  their  barge  around 
to  the  ferry  landing  and  to  the  Randall  house, 
where  the  wounded  were  cared  for.  The  dead 
Pritisher  was  buried  near  the  northwest  cor- 
ner of  the  old  Packer  cemetery  on  the  hill. 
The  wounded  recovered  and  later  the  prison- 
ers were  exchanged. 

It  was  much  like  a  camp  ground  around  the 
"1(1  landing.     .-V  raid  or  an  attack  was  expect- 


that  he  could  understand  he  was  to  be  shot 
if  he  attempted  any  trickery.  They  dipped 
the  oars  cautiously,  but  moved  quite  swiftly. 
W  hen  within  range  of  the  fort.  Park  veered 
his  course  and  ran  the  craft  on  Clam  Island, 
just  south  of  the  railroad  bridge.  As  the  \'es- 
sel  grounded  and  the  attention  of  the  men 
was  taken  from  him,  he  junqied  from  the 
stern  and  swam  into  the  channel.  In  the  dark- 
ness he  escaped.  They  made  no  further  direct 
attcnii>t  to  attack  "that  nest  of  wasps  up  the 
rixer." 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


85 


Judge  R.  A.  ^Vheeler's  report  of  the  battle 
i<f  Stoniiigton  in  the  County  History,  gives 
the  names  of  those  from  Mystic  Uridge  as  fol- 
lows : 

Jeremiah  Holmes,  Nathaniel  Clift,  Simeun  Haley, 
Jeremiah  Haley,  Frederick  Deiiison,  Ebenezer  Deni- 
sGii,  Isaac  Deiiison,  Jr.,  and  Frederick  Haley.  Capt. 
Holmes  had  command  of  the  battery  im  the  loth  of 
August.    Frederic    Uenison    was    killed. 

West  Mystic  has  furnished  her  full  quota 
of  men  for  all  the  wars.  During  the  Civil  war 
tnere  were  more  than  tliree  hundred  enlist- 
ments from  the  town. 

The  list  of  those  killed,  and  who  died  in  the 
service : 

Capt.  Jedediah  Randall,  (Jrrin  D.  Barker,  Charles 
Li.  Andrews,  Horatio  A.  risli,  Jr.,  William  11.  L)ur- 
lee,  lienjamm  Crossly,  Forenzo  Burrows,  i  homas 
iMslier,  John  Barns,  vViluam  Braheny,  John  Burk, 
William  Johnson,  John  L.  Seignous,  Adam  C  Bent- 
ley,  William  C.  rellows,  Flias  W.  Watrous,  Julius  A. 
ierkins,  Lyrus  J.  i-ease,  John  1^  I'utnam,  Fdmuiid  F. 
Smith,  Abner  i\.  Spencer,  Samuel  Vanaukin,  Chauncy 
V.  Wilcox,  John  Jlaynard,-  Fruscius  Bailey,  i  homas 
iVianice,  wiUiam  ti.  Watrous,  F  homas  11.  Shirley, 
James  linker,  William  N.  Mulkley,  George  A.  Fish, 
Samuel  Kalhbun,   William  F.   Fathain. 

Alany  have  died  from  wounds  and  disease 
resulting  from  the  war.  iVmong  them  was 
L-ieut.  Colonel  liiram  Appelman,  who  was 
Secretary  of  State  at  the  time  of  his  death. 

The  town  of  Groton  was  separated  from 
Xew  London  and  became  a  township  includ- 
ing Ledyard  in  1705.  In  1839,  Groton  and  Led- 
\'ard  became  separate  towns  and  probate  dis- 
tricts. 

Stephen  Fialey  was  judge  one  year,  James  Gallup 
two  years,  Nathan  DaboU  three  years,  Joseph  Durfey 
two  years,  Zebediah  Gates  four  years,  .Albert  G.  Stark 
two  years,  Nathan  G.  Fish  one  year,  Sanford  Stark 
one  year,  Amos  Clift  eighteen  years,  Hiram  .Appel- 
man one  year,  William  H.  Potter  si.x  years,  Lemuel 
Clift  twenty-two  yeajs,  Arthur  P.  .Anderson  four 
years,  now  in  office.  There  have  been  clerks  of  the 
court,  Nathan  Daboll,  Nathan  G.  Fish,  David  A.  Da- 
boll,  John  Hudson,  Albert  G.  Stark,  Nathan  S.  Fish, 
Amos  Clift,  Lemuel  Clift,  George  F.  Costello.  Mystic 
has  a  supply  of  legal  talent,  Lemuel  Clift  in  tlie  Civil 
war  and  ex-judge,  Frank  H.  Hinckley,  prosecuting  at- 
torney for  town  of  Stonington ;  .Albert  Deiiison,  and 
Benjamin  Hewitt,  Jr.,  all  have  offices  in  West  Mystic. 

There  are  two  local  newspapers,  the  Mystic 
Times  and  the  Mystic  Journal.  The  Times  is  ' 
the  successor  of  the  Mystic  ih-ess  and  the 
Mystic  Pioneer.  Mr.  A.  L.  Pitcher,  is  the  pub- 
lisher. The  Journal  publisher  is  Mr.  Harry 
Anderson. 


Many  of  the  old  residents  were  sea-captains 
and  many  adxentures  might  be  related  con- 
nected with  them.  Capt.  J.  Warren  Holmes, 
now  retired,  but  quite  active,  was  63  years  on 
the  water,  and  sailed  84  times  around  Cape 
florn.  .\bout  1856  the  ships  Twilight,  Capt. 
Gurdon  Gates,  and  the  Andrew  Jackson,  Capt. 
John  E.  Williams,  (both  men  were  near  neigh- 
bors here),  sailed  from  New  York  at  the  same 
time  and  reached  .San  FVancisco  in  about  100 
days,  with  only  two  or  three  hours  ditference 
in  time,  the  Jackson  being  first,  iioth  ves- 
sels were  built  in  -Mystic.  Later  the  Andrew 
Jackson  made  the  trip  in  go  days. 

One  of  the  stirring  events  connected  with 
life  on  the  ocean  occurred  with  Capt.  Am- 
brose hi.  Burrows  and  his  son,  Brutus,  in  the 
\ear  1822.  The  brig  "Frederick,"  with  a  val- 
uable cargo,  while  off  the  coast  of  Peru,  was 
approached  at  midnight  by  a  strange  \'essel, 
u'hich  signalled  its  presence  by  firing  guns. 
.\  rough  command  ordered  them  to  send  the 
brig's  boat  aboard  immediately  or  else  be 
sunk.  Capt.  Burrows  complied  with  the  de- 
mand as  soon  as  possible,  taking  his  papers 
along,  supposing  the  stra^iger  to  be  a  regular 
cruiser.  Before  his  boat  with  his  aids  reached 
the  strange  vessel,  a  boat  was  sent  full  of  men 
to  the  "Frederick"  who  leaped  aboard  with 
drawn  cutlasses  headed  by  an  officer,  who  or- 
dered every  man  belonging  to  the  vessel,  ex- 
cepting the  first  officer,  to  get  into  the  boat  in- 
stantly. They  were  conducted  to  the  pirate 
brig,  as  she  proved  to  be,  caused  to  sit  down, 
and  handcuffed. 

In  the  morning  they  were  mustered  on  deck, 
where  a  strange  scene  presented  itself.  Li 
groups  on  tlie  deck  were  nearly  a  hundred 
men  of  different  nations,  armed  to  the  teeth. 
'Lhe  pirate  captain,  a  stout,  fierce  looking  man, 
informed  Capt.  Burrows  he  intended  to  take 
his  prize,  the  "F^rederick,"  and  cargo  to  Chi- 
loe,  and  as  there  was  no  one  on  his  own  ves- 
sel who  could  navigate  her  excepting  his  first 
lieutenant,  he  wished  for  Capt.  Burrows  to 
take  her  there  and  assureil  him  of  good  treat- 
ment if  he  would  do  so.  To  this  Capt.  Bur- 
rows assented  on  condition  that  his  son  be  al- 
lowed  to  go   with  him.        This   permission  was 


86 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


HISTORJC  G  HO  TON 


87 


granted,  with  the  warning  that  the  men  who 
were  to  accompan}'  him  would  shoot  both  if 
he  did  not  take  tlie  vessel  to  the  right  place. 
With  the  officer  and  nine  men  to  accompany 
him,  the  two  vessels  soon  parted  company. 

After  a  few  days  of  quiet  sailing,  Capt.  Bur- 
rows matured  his  plans  for  recapture.  He  se- 
cured the  small  arms  belonging  to  his  vessel, 
loaded  and  concealed  them  in  his  stateroom. 
It  was  customary  each  morning  for  the  com- 
manding officer  and  his  assistant  to  go  into 
the    cabin    and    examine    the    charts    with    the 


to  the  man  at  the  wheel,  who  gave  up  to  them. 
The  crew  were  then  ordered  below.  The  cap- 
tain now  approached  the  scuttle  and  com- 
manded them  to  come  up  singly,  and  leave 
every  weapon  below,  threatening  to  blow  out 
the  brains  of  the  first  one  who  disobeyed. 
They  obeyed,  and  one  by  one  were  bound  and 
lashed  to  the  gunnels. 

In  the  morning  it  was  proposed  to  them 
either  to  take  the  launch  and  try  their  fortune 
in  her,  or  be  carried  into  Callao  and  be  deliv- 
ered up  as  pirates ;   they  all  preferred   taking 


K]:siiiKM:h  iir  ,mi: 

captain.  ( )nc  morning  while  examining  the 
charts  he  addressed  them:  "Here  sirs,"  point- 
ing on  the  chart,  "you  suppose  you  are,  but 
sirs  you  are  ileceived ;  you  are  not  far  from 
land,  and  now  stir  hand  or  foot,  make  but  the 
slightest  noise,  and  you're  tlead  men."  They 
looked  up  and  saw  the  pistols  pointing  at  them 
in  the  hands  of  Capt.  lUirrows  and  his  son.  He 
informed  them  he  was  determined  to  have  his 
vessel  or  die ;  and  they  must  submit  or  be 
shot.  Amazed,  and  realizing  that  resistance 
meant  death  for  them,  the  two  men  submitted 
to  be  boimd.  After  securing  them,  one  on  each 
side  of  the  cabin,  Cajit.  Burrows  and  his  son 
hnrric<l    on    deck    and    presented    their    pistols 


.IliSSE  li.  CKAK\ 

the    launch,    and    accordingly    Capt.    Burrows 
was  rid  of  their  company. 

The  astonishment  of  the  two  prisoners  still 
bound  in  the  cabin  was  great  when  they 
learned  the  situation.  These  two  men  had 
siiown  some  kindness  to  Capt.  Burrows,  while 
he  was  their  prisoner,  and  needing  assistance 
on  his  vessel,  he  took  the  risk  of  unbinding 
them,  after  pledging  themselves  to  stand  by 
and  aid  him.  They  were  kept  alternately  at 
tlie  helm  until  the  brig  arrived  safelv  at  Cal- 
loa  in  the  month  of  February.  Capt.  Bur- 
row^s,  believing  they  were  sincere  and  reall}' 
meant  to  lead  a  better  life,  supplied  them  with 
money  and  allowed  them  to  go. 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


•A 


NTT^''    :  V„ 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


89 


The  soldiers'  monument  on  East  Main  St. 
was  presented  to  the  village  by  Mrs.  Charles 
H.  Mallory.  At  its  dedication  a  number  of 
Grand  Army  post  veterans  paraded,  amid 
much  enthusiasm  displayed  by  the  citizens. 
Governor  Thomas  M.  Waller  and.  staff  offi- 
cers were  present.  The  address  was  by  G.  S. 
Senator  Joseph  R.  Hawley,  Rev.  Frederick 
Denison    reading    a    poem.       Capt.    John    K. 


which  the  commissioners  appointed  by  the 
governor  of  the  state  had  decided  upon,  placed 
on  a  boulder  monument,  was  unveiled  June 
26,  1889.  Gov.  Buckley  and  stafT,  with  many 
visitors  from  abroad,  were  present. 

The  battle  on  Pequot  Hill  was  the  first  one 
of  importance  in  New  England.  The  sacri- 
fice of  lives  is  sad  to  contemplate,  but  it  re- 
:-ulted  in  giving  some  security  to  the  early  set- 


KUSINESS  BLOCK  OF  THE  (ULBE 

I'-ucklyn,  a  war  veteran  and  principal  of  Mys- 
tic \'alley  Institute,  presided  at  the  unveiling. 

After  some  discussion  for  a  Pequot  llill 
monument,  a  committee  was  appointed  by  the 
New  London  County  Historical  Society  in 
1866,  to  bring  the  matter  of  an  appropriation 
before  the  legislature  at  its  session  of  1887. 
The  members  of  the  assembly  from  these  and 
(ither  towns  favoring  it,  an  appropriation  was 
voted.  Sufficient  funds  had  been  contributed 
to  furnish  the  pedestal.  The  legislature  of  1889 
voted  an  appropriation  for  unveiling  expenses, 
and    the    bronze    statue    of    a    Puritan    warrior. 


HT  TRANSl'URTATIUN   ('( >.\11'.\X  V 

lers.  It  appears  to  be  eas\-  and  natural  to  criti- 
cise past  events,  yet  it  may  not  be  so  easy  to 
fully  comprehend  the  situation  at  the  time 
they  occurred.  Connecticut  was  like  a  wil- 
derness roamed  by  wild  beasts  and  a  savage 
race.  Few  in  numbers  and  scattered,  the  col- 
ony realized  the  time  had  come  to  take  ac- 
tion for  their  own  safety.  Massachusetts 
ga\'e  some  assistance  and  John  Mason,  a 
trained  soldier,  who  had  preferred  life  with 
ihe  colony  to  being  a  major  general,  was 
chosen  captain  of  the  expedition.  Blulif  and 
courageous,  he  was  a  typical  representative  of 


90 


HISTORIC  G  HO  TON 


that   era,   being  regarded   as   a   hero   through- 
out New  England. 

It  was  a  perilous  undertaking.  The  com- 
mander, and  no  doubt  every  man  of  them,  had 
the  intelligence  to  comprehend  what  would 
be  their  doom,  with  the  probable  fate  of  the 
colony  if  they  failed.  The  Pequots  were  fleet 
of  foot  and  were  dreaded  for  their  cruelty. 
Mason  knew  that  his  Indian  allies,  who  cher- 
ished a  fear  of  them,  might  not  be  relied  on. 
It   was  a  critical   moment   when   the   Pequots, 


serts  itself.  At  the  time  of  the  battle  on  Pe- 
(juot  Hill  and  for  many  years  afterwards,  civ- 
ilization appeared  as  in  a  morbid  condition. 
It  was  not  only  in  European  countries,  but 
also  in  Xew  England,  the  air  was  surcharged 
with  cries  against  "heresy"  and  "witchcraft," 
and  punishment  with  a  horrible  death  was 
often  meted  out.  It  seems  a  strange  commen- 
tary that  progress  of  civil  and  religious  lib- 
erty should  have  to  come  through  war ;  but 
historv  reveals  the   fact  of  the  tendencv  of  liu- 


I'L.A^NT  OK  THK  STANDARU  MACHINERY  rOMPANV 


after  the  first  shock  of  surprise  was  over,  came 
swarming  out  to  repel  the  invaders.  The 
liurning  embers  in  a  wigwam  suggested  the 
idea,  which  was  seized  upon  to  aid  the  con- 
(|Uest.  The  strife  which  followed  was  of  short 
duration  and  terrible:  but  the  colony  was 
saved. 

.\  noted  and  experienced  veteran  declared 
with  graphic  emphasis,  "War  is  hell ! "  W  lien 
contending  armies  meet  for  a  decisive  conflict 
ii  means  there  will  be  destruction  and  death. 
In  the  hour  of  such  extremity,  the  right  of 
self   preservation,  nature's  first   law.  usually  as- 


man  natiu^e  when  clothed  with  power  to  use 
it  arbitrarily  and  unjustl)'.  which  has  been  a 
chief  cause  of  war.  Religious  devotees  have 
proved  no  exception  to  the  rule.  It  was  the 
reaction  of  this  tendency  which  caused  the 
article  for  religious  freedom  to  be  imbedded 
in  the  Constitution  of  the  United  States,  for 
which  there  is  cause  to  be  grateful. 

Pjorn  and  reared  in  Xew  England.  ".Around 
lier  hills  and  valleys  cling  the  gentle  recollec- 
tions of  onr  early  life."  Cherishing  a  feeling 
:ikin  to  reverence,  it  is  not  desired  to  sjieak 
litrhth-  about  the  "awful  \irtues  of  our  Pilgrim 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


9' 


sires ;"  for  whatever  their  faults,  their  virtues 
were  not  excelled  by  those  of  any  creed  or  any 
people  of  that  epoch.  Investigation  and  the 
diffusion  of  knowledge  have  helped  to  curb 
the  spirit  of  fanaticism  and  intolerance  which 
so  widely  prevailed.  The  time  sliould  not  be 
far  distant  when  education  with  religion — 
with  the  light  of  history  as  a  guide,  can  af- 
ford some  assurance  of  a  continual  peace  on 
the  earth. 

It   is   nearly   two   thousand   years   since   the 
\'>'ords    were   spoken    to    His    followers :    "This 


is  my  commandment  that  ye  love  one  an- 
other, even  as  I  have  loved  you."  In  the  hour 
of  agony  proving  himself  the  exemplar  of  the 
sermon  on  the  Mount,  forsaken  even  by  His 
disciples.  He  prayed  for  His  persecutors : 
"Father,  forgive  them,  they  know  not  what 
they  do!"  A\'hen  all  the  sects  of  Christendom 
exhibit  that  spirit  towards  each  other,  and  a 
majority  of  the  human  race  attain  to  that  high 
plane  of  charity  and  love,  it  may  reasonalily 
be  expected  that  wars  will  cease. 


92 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


Old  Mystic 

By  SIMEON  GALLUP 


EAR  the  northeasterl}'  corner  of 
ID  the  town  of  Groton  the  Lantern 
Hill  brook  flowing  from  the  north 
joins  a  stream  from  the  west,  and 
thence  both  continuing  southerly 
are  soon  lost  in  the  tide  waters  of  the  broad 
estuary  known  as  the  ^lystic  river.  In  the 
narrow    \allev    haxini;"    the    elevated    ridge    df 


scHooLHors?: 

(Juakataug  Hill  in  Stonington  on  the  east,  and 
the  rocky  highlands  of  Groton  on  the  west, 
just  at  the  junction  of  the  two  streams  nestles 
the  village  of  Old  Mystic.  Its  beautiful  sit- 
uation and  charming  natuial  features  have 
been  renowned  ever  since  the  advent  of  the 
white  man.  Tradition  tells  us  that  people 
who  first  came  into  this  section  from  the  val- 
ley of  the  Mystic  river  in  the  vicinity  of  Bos- 
ton brought  the  name  with  them  and  gave  it 
to  this  delightful  river  and  valley. 

The  early  settlers  of  Gonnecticnt  and  Rhode 
Island  were  exposed  to  the  inveterate  hostility 
of  the  Pequot  Indians  and  endured  untold  suf- 


ferings from  their  relentless  warfare.  In  1637 
the  Massachusetts,  Plymouth,  and  Connecti- 
cut colonies  joined  their  forces  in  an  expedi- 
tion to  exterminate  them,  and  iGapt.  .John 
^lason  with  eighty  men  and  three  hundred 
friendly  Indians  was  sent  into  the  Pequot 
Cduntry   for  that   pur])ose. 

The  precise  situation  of  the  Pequot  head- 
cpiarters  was  not  known,  but  was  believed  to 
be  in  southeastern  Gonnecticnt.  The  forces 
assembled  at  Hartford  and  sailing  down  the 
Gonnecticnt  river,  thence  around  into  Xarra- 
gansett  ba)\  the)'  anchored  on  the  west  side 
in  the  harbor  at  W'ickford,  and  disembarking 
set  out  on  their  march  westward  in  pursuit  of 
the  enemy.  Grossing  Rhode  Island  they  ar- 
med in  the  e\ening  oi  the  25th  of  Ala}'  at  the 
-Mystic  ri\'er,  which  they  forded  at  its  head 
where  Old  Mystic  is  now  situated.  Here  they 
learned  that  they  were  already  in  the  vicinity 
of  the  savages  whom  the}-  sought,  and  as  the 
tlay  was  far  spent  they  marched  only  a  short 
distance  further  in  a  southerly  direction,  and 
took  shelter  for  the  night  in  a  glen  between 
I'lgh  and  precipitous  rocks  in  the  range  of  hills 
on  the  west,  at  a  place  known  as  Porter's 
Rocks.  The  tired  and  hungry  tri.iojjs  remained 
ihrough  the  night  for  rest  and  refreshinent. 
intending  the  next  morning  at  break  of  day 
to  attack  the  Pequot  stronghold,  which  was 
only  about  one  and  a  half  miles  further  south, 
on  the  highland  known  as  Pequot  Hill  west  of 
the  Mystic  river.  The  sentinels  heard  the 
carousing  of  the  Pequots  in  their  fort  as  they 
engaged  in  the  war  dance  through  the  night, 
expecting  on  the  next  day  to  go  out  and  find 
and  destroy  the  English,  whose'  vessels  they 
had  seen  pass,  and  they  supposed  the  English 
dared  not  attack  them  in  the  fort. 

At  two  o'clock  on  the  morning  of  Mav  26th, 
the  English  went  forth  and  quickly  found  the 
strongly   fortified   Pequot   village.     The   storv 


HISTORJC  GROTON 


93 


(.)[  the  desperate  fight  that  followed,  and  the 
almost  complete  destruction  of  the  Pequots 
there  assembled,  has  been  oft  told  in  histories 
oi  state  and  nation,  and  need  not  be  here  re- 
peated. An  important  chapter  in  the  early 
history  of  Groton  was  enacted,  and  a  great 
movement  accomplished  toward  securing  safe- 
ty for  the  white  race.  The  place  of  this  des- 
perate struggle  is  of  historic  interest  and  im- 
portance, as  well  as  that  of  the  camp  at  Por- 
ter's Rocks,  and  each  is  well  worthy  of  soiue 
fitting  mimument  by  the  State. 

The  hamlet  formed  by  the  first  settlers  was 
from  its  situation  on  the  river  familiarly  called 
by  its  inhabitants  and  their  neighbors,  "Head 
of  the  River,"  a  name  given  to  many  other 
villages  similarly  situated.  The  post  ofifice 
was  early  called  "Mystic"  and  was  established 
on  the  east  side  of  the  river. 

The  name  remaine<l  the  same  luitil  the  year 
i8go,  when  b)-  order  of  the  post  office  depart- 
uient  it  was  changed  to  "Old  Afystic.'' 

A  greater  number  of  peojilc,  finding  ])laces 
more  advantageous  for  business  or  for  dwell- 
ings, also  located  on  the  east  side  of  the  river, 
thus  establishing  a  corresponding!}-  greater 
part  of  the  business  of  the  \illage  in  the  town 
of  Stonington.  .\n  extended  description  i>f 
many  important  industries,  that  have  contrili- 
uted  largely  to  the  prosperity  of  the  whole  \-il- 
lage,  is  by  this  restriction  to  town  boundaries 
placed  without  the  limits  of  this  article.  .Such" 
is  the  case  with  the  early  ship-building  indus- 
try at  the  Leeds  shipyard,  the  making  of  cot- 
ton goods  which  flourished  at  John  Hyde's 
factories  at  an  early  date,  and  later  the  man- 
ufacture of  woolen  goods  by  Amos  B.  Tay- 
lor, the  banking  business  of  the  Mystic  Na- 
tional bank,  besides  other  lesser  industries  and 
mercantile  interests. 

The  opening  of  the  New  I^ondon  and  Prov- 
idence turnpike  about  the  year  1S20  brought 
to  the  growing  village  communication  with  the 
outside  world,  as  direct  and  immediate  as  any 
large  cities  dependent  upon  land  travel  en- 
joyed at  that  time.  It  was  a  part  of  an  im- 
portant avenue  of  travel  from  New  York  to 
Boston,  maintaining  daily  trains  of  three  or 
more  four-horse  stage  coaches.    The  passing  of 


these  stages  was  an  object  of  great  interest 
to  those  living  near  the  turnpike.  The  neces 
sary  stopping  of  these  trains  of  coaches  at  the 
taverns  or  hostelries  along  the  route  for  relay 
of  horses,  and  refreshment  of  travelers, 
brought  a  breeze  from  the  outside  world,  and 
was  an  occasion  of  much  bustle  and  commo- 
tion. .-Ml  the  idlers  of  the  village  and  many 
others,  too.  drew  near  to  see  the  passengers, 
hear  the  news,  and  take  their  fill  of  the  ex- 
citement of  the  day.  The  stage  drivers,  in  the 
(ipinion  of  that  company,  were  men  of  vast 
importance,  and  the  one  who  could  pick  a  fly 
fiom  the  ear  of  his  leaders  with  his  long  whip 
or  could  round  up  his  frisky  team  at  the  ta\- 
ern  with  an  extra  flourish,  was  the  greatest 
man  of  them  all.  There  was  such  a  turnpike 
tavern  in  Old  Mystic  fronting  the  triangular 
\'illagc  green  kept  b_\'  Russel  Williams.  The 
house  was  built  in  1754  and  is  still  used  as  a 
dwelling.     The  separate  part  of  the  house,  de- 


OI.D  TFRXriKE  T.WERN 

signed  as  a  barroom,  and  the  extra  cupboards 
and  closets  in  hidden  and  out  of  the  way 
places,  signify  to  this  day  the  kind  of  refresh- 
ment mostly  provided  for  travelers. 

.\  prosperous  tannery  business  was  estab- 
lished not  far  from  the  turnpike  ta\-ern  about 
the  year  1841,  and  conducted  for  many  years 
bv  John  S.  Schoonover  who  accjuired  a  hand- 
some competence  in  its  pursuit.  He  employei' 
several  men  and  was  noted  for  his  careful  at- 
tention to  the  details  of  business  and  for  the 
superior   quality    of   the    leather    he    manufac- 


94 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


tured.  By  his  liberality  the  village  received 
ii  valuable  tower  clock  which  was  placed  in 
the  steeple  of  the   Baptist  church. 

Xo  village  could  long  exist  without  its  black- 
smith. A  shop  for  the  pursuit  of  that  calling 
stood  just  at  the  entrance  of  the  tan-yard 
above  mentioned,  and  many  will  recall  the 
corpulent  form  and  cheery  countenance  of  the 
occupant,  Stephen  H.  Wheeler,  as  he  dili- 
gently engaged  in  work  at  his  anvil.  There 
was  work,  and  there  was  also  talk.  It  seemed 
to  be  the  privilege  if  not  the  duty  of  the  black- 
smith to  acquire  all  the  news  the  very  earliest 
moment  it  came  to  town,  and  there  was  always 
a  story  to  tell,  while  the  roaring  bellows  and 
the  ringing  anvil  furnished  a  vigorous  accom- 
paniment. The  farmer  who  came  with  horses 
or  oxen  to  be  shod,  or  tools  to  be  repaired, 
could  have  his  defective  line  of  news  improved 
and  his  stores  of  information  greatly  increased, 
while  his  real  errand  compelled  him  to  wait. 
The  sound  of  the  blacksmith's  anvil  has  passed 
with  those  who  made  it,  and  even  the  shop 
has  been  obliterated,  and  its  place  can  be  pointed 
out  only  by  those  who  remember. 

But  the  shoemaker's  shop  of  old  was  the 
most  homey  place  of  all  the  trades,  where 
one  could  sit  at  ease  while  being  measured 
for  a  boot  or  shoe,  or  watch  the  piece  of  work 
grow  under  the  shoemaker's  skillful  hands. 
Such  a  place  was  the  shop  of  William  Crumb, 
who  for  more  than  sixty  years  used  as  his 
place  of  work  the  former  bar-room  of  the  old 
turnpike  tavern.  His  business  included  re- 
]iairing  and  making  boots  and  shoes  in  the 
best  style  of  the  art  known  in  those  days,  both 
for  custom  work  and  for  the  wholesale  trade. 

About  the  year  1850  the  manufacture  of 
ropes  was  an  important  industry  in  New 
England,  though  now  but  little  pursued.  Two 
rope  walks  were  then  in  operation  in  Old  Mys- 
tic:  one  conducted  by  Joseph  A.  I.amb  was 
situated  in  the  grove  across  the  river  from 
the  main  street  of  the  village  :  the  other  man- 
aged by  Barton  Saunders  was  at  the  north  end 
of  the  village  on  the  Norwich  road.  Those 
were  the  days  of  the  inveterate  \illage  joker. 
Three  of  that  class  were  one  day  looking  for 
a  victim  as  Mr.  Saunders  came  up  the  street. 


with  a  heavy  load  of  factory  spools  or  rollers 
of  coarse  thread  used  in  making  ropes,  and 
stopped  for  a  few  minutes  at  the  hay  scales. 
One  of  the  watching  trio  quietly  cut  the  long 
rope  used  in  binding  the  load,  nearly  severing 
it,  and  when  the  load  moved  on,  all  followed 
at  a  shdrt  distance  in  the  rear  to  see  what 
would  happen.  As  the  team  went  up  Brim- 
stone Hill  at  Crumb's  corner,  when  near  the 
top  and  at  the  steepest  place,  the  binding  rope 
parted,  and  the  whole  load  was  quickly  dis- 
charged, rolling  down  to  the  foot  of  the  hill. 
Mr.  Saunders  looked  around  with  dismay,  and 
after  examination  to  find  the  cause,  he  soon 
discovered  what  had  been  done  to  the  rope. 
The  three  men  almost  immediately  appeared, 
and  when  they  profusely  ofifered  their  services 
to  help  replace  the  load,  he  was  at  once  as- 
sured who  were  the  authors  of  the  disaster. 

A  water  privilege  with  a  corn  and  grain 
mill  was  established  in  1853  on  the  stream 
flowing  from  the  west  near  its  junction  with 
the  river,  at  which  milling  is  done  the  greater 
part  of  the  year  in  addition  to  a  large  trade 
in  grain  and  feed.  The  mill  pond  also  furnishes 
the  privilege  from  which  a  great  part  of  the 
ice  used  in  both  Mystics  is  taken,  and  is  of  it- 
self an  important  industry.  About  one  mile 
westerly  up  this  stream  stands  the  old  Babcock 
grain  mill,  used  as  such  a  generation  ago,  that 
business  having  been  superceded  in  later  years 
by  a  line  factory. 

The  hamlet  known  as  Burnet's  Corners  is 
located  at  this  point  on  the  turnpike,  and  is 
so  called  from  the  residence  of  the  Burnet 
family  at  one  of  the  angles  of  the  highway 
crossing.  The  house  was  built  about  the  year 
1840  by  Capt.  Richard  Burnet  and  kept  by  him 
as  the  "Pequot  Hotel"  during  the  last  da_\-s  of 
passenger  travel  on  the  turnpike.  Its  spacious 
hall  was  at  one  time  a  noted  resort  for  pleasure 
parties,  for  dancing  schools,  balls  and  other 
gatherings.  The  house  is  now  the  private  res- 
idence of  members  of  the  same  family.  The 
rpposite  angle  of  the  highway  is  the  site  of 
the  district  school  house. 

Continuing  westward  up  this  same  inconsid- 
erable but  very  industrious  stream,  there  was 
a   small    mill   known   as   the   "Stone    Factorv" 


HISTORIC  GROrON 


95 


built  for  the  manufacture  of  cloth,  but  after- 
ward used  for  grinding  corn  and  grain  and 
other  purposes.  Above  this  was  a  mill  some- 
times called  "Blue  Ruin"  used  as  a  carding 
mill  in  which  woolen  rolls  were  carded  for 
spinning  and  weaving  by  hand  in  the  homes 
throughout  a  wide  section  of  territory.  Half 
a  mile  north  from  Burnet's  Corners  was  the 
machine  shop  and  business  of  Watrous  and 
Bacon,  which  employed  several  men  and  con- 
structed machines  of  value  and  importance. 
The  Welles  homestead  is  situated  on  the 
turnpike  about  half  a  mile  west  of  the  village 
near  which  is  a  steam  mill  used  for  sawing 
various  kinds  of  lumber.  The  Welles  family 
have  from  the  earliest  times  been  owners  of 
large  tracts  of  land  in  Groton,  one  of  which 
includes  the  historic  Porter's  Rocks  and  their 
picturesque  surroundings. 


The  school  advantages  in  Old  Mystic  are 
now  better  than  can  be  found  in  most  towns 
outside  the  large  cities.  Formerly  the  north- 
eastern section  of  the  town  including  the  vil- 
lage was  a  part  of  the  Burnet's  Corners  dis- 
trict. In  1851  that  section  of  Groton  was  incor- 
porated with  the  sixth  school  district  of  Ston- 
ington,  having  its  school  house  already  in  the 
\illage  of  Old  Mystic.  By  this  change,  all  the 
village  and  the  adjacent  territory  was  joined 
in  one  district.  The  school  has  now  three 
departments,  but  all  the  grades  of  the  sched- 
ule of  studies  for  the  town  of  Stonington  are 
represented.  The  high  school  is  identical  in 
rank  and  grade  with  the  three  other  high 
schools  in  Stonington,  all  having  the  same 
schedule  of  studies,  the  same  tests  of  schol- 
arship, and  pupils  in  all  may  graduate  and  re- 
ceive a  diploma  on  comjiletion  of  the  course 
of  studies. 


Oldest  Baptist  Church  in  the  State 

The  history  of  this  church  reaches  back  to 
a  date  one  year  earlier  than  the  organization  of 
the  town  of  Groton.  In  1704,  a  few  scattered 
Baptists  residing  east  of  the  Thames  river  in 
New  London  petitioned  the  general  court  for 
a  settlement  as  a  dissenting  congregation,  and 
sent  a  request  to  Mr.  Valentine  Wightman, 
then  a  young  Baptist  minister  of  reputation  in 
Rhode  Island,  to  come  and  be  their  leader.  He 
came  without  delay,  and  in  1705  gathered  and 
organized  the  First  Baptist  Church  in  Groton, 
which  small  company  was  also  the  first  formed 
Baptist  church  in  Connecticut. 

By  the  gift  of  William  Stark,  who  was  after- 
wards the  first  deacon  of  the  church,  the  young 
pastor  was  presented  with  a  house  and  twenty 
acres  of  land,  which  for  several  generations  be- 
came the  home  of  the  Wightmans.  This  par- 
sonage was  situated  on  Stark's  Hill,  as  former- 
ly called,  near  which  the  New  London  and 
Providence  turnpike  was  opened  many  years 
later.  The  house  is  still  standing  after  the  two 
liundredth  anniversary  of  the  church.  The 
first  meeting  house  of  the  Baptists  was  built  in 
1718,  on  land  owned  by  Deacon  Stark,  about 
half  a  mile  southeasterly  from  the  parsonage, 


on  the  traveled  path  known  as  the  Post  road, 
two  miles  west  of  the  present  house  of  wor- 
ship. It  was  a  plain,  square  structure  of  small 
dimensions,  without  paint  or  embellishments 
of  any  kind  and  never  had  fireplace  or  stove 
for  warmth  or  comfort.  But  it  had  a  history 
and  memories  of  gospel  sermons  and  worship 
that  greatly  endeared  it  to  the  two  or  three 
generations  by  whom  it  was  successively  oc- 
cupied. 

Mr.  Wightman  was  of  a  race  and  family  of 
preachers  and  was  the  great-grandson  of  Rev. 
Edward  Wightman  of  Burton-on-Trent,  who 
was  the  last  martyr  by  fire  in  England,  having 
been  burnt  at  the  stake  at  Litchfield,  .April  11, 
1612.  He  was  well  adapted  to  the  work  of 
pioneer  in  preaching  the  gospel,  and  sowed 
the  seeds  from  which  Baptist  churches  grew 
to  advocate  liberty  of  conscience.  In  the  days 
when  men,  women  and  children  could  be 
thrown  into  prison  for  holding  a  Baptist  meet- 
ing, he,  with  his  faithful  band,  maintained  the 
vital  points  of  Christian  libert}-  as  well  as  Bap- 
tist faith. 

The  following  statutes  were  enacted  as  late 
as  1723 : 

"Whatsoever  persons  shall  presume  on  the  Lord's 
Day   to   neglect   the    worship   of   God    in    some   lawful 


96 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


congregation,  and  form  themselves  into  separate  com- 
panies in  private  houses ;  being  convicted  thereof  shall 
each  of  them  for  every  such  offense  forfeit  the  sum 
of  twenty  shillings." 

"Whatsoever  person  not  being  a  lawfully  allowed 
minister  of  the  gospel,  shall  presume  to  perform  the 
holy  sacraments  by  administering  them  to  any  per- 
son or  persons  whatsoever,  and  being  thereof  con- 
victed, shall  incur  the  penalty  of  ten  pounds  for  every 
such  offense,  and  suffer  corporal  punishment  by  whip- 
ping not   exceeding  thirty  lashes   for  each   offense." 

Many  instances  could  be  cited  of  those  who 
suffered  fines  and  imprisonment.  In  the  years 
that  have  followed  we  can  partially  realize 
the  ^reat  changes  that  have  taken  place  in  the 
minds  of  men.  Intolerance  has  given  way  to 
liberality  of  thought,  and  independence  of  ac- 
tion is  everywhere  permitted,  but  it  should  be 


mentioned  as  the  first  deacon,  two  others  are 
known  to  have  filled  that  office,  Isaac  Lamb 
and  Joseph  Culver.  Mr.  Wightman  continued 
with  the  church  until  his  death  in  1747  closed 
I'ls  long  pastorate  of  forty-two  years.  A 
^\'ightman  memorial,  erected  in  1890,  marks 
his  resting  place  in  the  ^^'ightman  Burial 
(iround  which  adjoined  the  first  two  houses  of 
\vorship. 

Rev.  Daniel  Fisk  of  Rhode  Island  was 
called  to  be  his  successor.  During  his  minis- 
try began  the  "great  awakening"  under  the 
[■reaching  of  \\'hitefield  and  Davenport,  which 
deeply  moved  all  the  churches,  and  in  many 
the  impressions  made  resulted  in  divisions.   In 


VILLACK  GREEN  AND  CHURCH  EDIFICP:  BlILT  IN  IRfiT 


remembered  that  not  a  truth  or  principle 
taught  b\-  the  early  Baptists  has  been  recanted, 
changed,   or   overthrown. 

I\Ir.  ^\'ightman  was  greatly  fa\-ored  by  hav- 
ing as  neighboring  ministers  of  the  Standing 
r)rder,  Ephraim  Woodbridge  and  John  Owen, 
whose  liberality  towards  the  Baptists  was  in 
marked  contrast  to  the  spirit  of  the  times. 
W'ightman  and  Owen  ever  labored  side  by 
side  in  accord  and  in  mutual  friendship  until 
the  death  of  the  former. 

Mr.  ^^'ightman  was  in  advance  of  his  day 
and  of  his  own  people.  He  introduced  singing 
as  a  part  of  public  worship,  and  to  meet  the 
strong  ojjposition  to  this  innovation  he  pu1)- 
lished  a  book  advocating  its  practice.  During 
his    pastorate,   besides    William    Stark,   before 


Baptist  churches  there  were  also  divisicms  into 
t>pen  and  strict  communion,  and  after  various 
efforts  to  reconcile  these  views,  at  length  in 
1754,  the  church  was  reorganized,  adopting 
open  communion. 

From  this  time  Timothy  \\'ightman,  son  of 
the  first  pastor,  became  the  leader  of  the 
church,  and  in  1756  was  ordained  pastor. 
\\ith  him  were  associated  twenty-eight 
members,  and  their  co\enant  dating  June  29^. 
1754,  is  upon  the  church  records  which,  from 
that  time  forward.  ha\e  lieen  full}'  preserved. 
About  the  year  1765,  the  First  Baptist  church 
of  Groton.  then  the  leading  church  of  that  faith 
in  the  state,  as  well  as  the  first  born,  returned 
to  its  former  practice  of  strict  communion,  in 
consequence   of   which   some   of   the   members 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


97 


withdrew  and  formed  the  Second  Baptist 
church  of  Groton,  sometimes  called  the  I'ort 
Hill  church. 

A  historran  tells  us  that  Timothy  W'ightman 
was  a  "man  of  medium  stature  and  erect  form, 
affable  manners,  serious  deportment  and  man- 
ly bearing,  and  was  nigh  a  model  man."  As  a 
I  reacher  he  was  fearless  and  faithful.  His 
ministry  reached  through  two  great  upheavals 
in  the  histor}-  of  our  country ;  the  "great 
awakening"  in  church  life,  before  referred  to, 
and  the  revolution  that  inaugurated  our  na- 
tional independence.  He  taught  his  people  to 
honor  the  right,  and  his  church  furnished  its 
c|Uota  of  patriiitic  blood  in  defence  of  liberty. 
On  one  occasion  two  members  of  his  flock 
who  were  soldiers,  having  been  allowed  to  visit 
their  Ikjuics  and  finding  a  meeting  in  progress, 
came  at  once  to  the  meeting  in  all  their  sol- 
dierly outfit.  ( )n  entering  they  received  from 
the  pastor  this  scrijjtural  greeting  and  wel- 
come: ".\nd  being  let  go  they  went  to  their 
own  company." 

Three  deacons  were  ordained  during  his 
ministry,  Jdlm  \\  ightman  and  Peter  Avery  in 
1/57'  ^'t'  Thnmas  Xnrthmii  Xiles  in  1778. 
Deacon  I'eter  .\\ery  was  a  man  of  decided 
personality  and  a  leader  in  church  matters.  He 
was  loud  and  strong  of  speech,  but  of  agree- 
able manner  and  reputed  wealth.  He  gave  the 
church  (ine  hundred  ]iounds  sterling  and  a  sil- 
ver cup  for  communion  service.  He  was  dea- 
con for  fifty  years,  until  his  death. 

.\  glimpse  of  the  old-time  church  singing  is 
here  given  in  the  quaint  language  of  the 
church  record : 

"Oct  yc  3,  1778.  Dea  Xiles  moved  that  somebody 
should  be  chosen  to  set  the  Psalm,  when  tlie  chiircli 
made  choice  of  Br  Benadam  Gallup,  and  in  his  ab- 
sense  Br  John  Daboll  to  set  the  Psalm  and  likewise 
voted  that  they  set  as  near  the  center  of  the  meeting- 
house as  they  conveniently  can." 

"April  ye  3,  1779.  Br  Gallup  moved  that  the  church 
should  reconsider  a  vote  of  theirs  in  October  appoint- 
ing him  and  Br  Daboll  to  tune  the  Psalm,  as  he  found 
Br  Daboll's  gift  to  be  superior  to  his.  .\ccoi-dingly 
at  Br  Gallup's  desire  they  appointed  Br  Daboll  to  be 
first  in  tuning  the  Psalm  and  Br  Gallup  to  assist  him." 

During  Timothy  ^^'ightman's  ministry  there 

were   large    additions    to    the    church,     which 

numbered  two  hundred  and  fifteen  members  at 

the  close  of  his  pastorate.     In   1790,  a  second 


house  of  worship  was  built  on  the  site  of  the 
former  house.  Mr.  Wightman's  death  occurred 
in  179O  at  the  age  of  seventy-seven,  in  the 
flirty-third  year  of  his  pastorate. 

An  interval  of  four  years  followed  during 
which  Rev.  Reuben  Palmer  of  Montville 
preached  as  supply  a  part  of  the  time,  and 
more  than  se\-enty  were  added  to  the  churcli. 
Among  others,  John  Gano  W'ightman,  son  of 
tlie  late  pastor,  a  young  man  of  more  than  or- 
dinary ability,  who  had  received  a  classical 
education  at  Plainfield  Academy,  was  con- 
verted and  baptized  in  1798  at  the  age  of  thir- 
ty-one. Soon  afterwards  he  accepted  the  call 
of  the  church  to  become  its  pastor  and  was 
crdained  Aug.  13,  1800. 

John  Gano  W'ightman  was  a  logical  and 
riuent  speaker,  well  versed  in  scripture  and  a 
successful  minister  of  Christ.  During  his  pas- 
torate not  less  than  ten  seasons  of  revival  w'ere 
e.\i)erienced.  greatly  strengthening  the  church 
and  repairing  the  losses  l)y  death  and  removal 
to  cities  and  \-illages  and  to  the  far  west. 

.A  branch  church  was  formed  in  1831  as  the 
Third  Baptist  church  of  Groton,  afterwards 
known  as  the  Mariner's  church,  located  west 
of  the  river  at  .Mystic,  then  called  Portersville. 

During  his  pastorate  the  following  were  or- 
dained deacons:  Benadam  Gallup  in  1800, 
Samuel  Lamb  and  Sands  Fish  in  1810,  Stanton 
P.  Babcock  in  1828.  and  Coddington  Colver 
and  James  C.  Lamb  in  1838. 

The  church  was  blessed  with  faithful  lav- 
men  as  well  as  officers.  Joseph  Colver,  a  lineal 
descendant  of  Gov.  Winthrop  of  Connecticut, 
was  a  judicious  and  trusted  helper,  and  a 
tower  of  strength  to  the  church  in  his  dav,  and 
in  faithful  attendance  his  record  is  without  a 
])arallel.  He  carefully  kept  a  diary  and  accord- 
ing to  its  pages  he  was  absent  from  Lord's  day 
service  only  twice  in  forty  years.  Two  of  his 
grandsons  have  filled  important  positions  in 
the  P.aptist  ministry.  Rev.  Palmer  G.  Wight- 
man  whiise  name  appears  later  as  pastor  of 
this  church,  and  Rev.  Joseph  C.  ^^■ightman  an 
eminent  scholar  and  divine. 

Another  \-alual>le  contributor  to  the  spirit- 
ual life  of  the  church  was  "Old  Quash."  as  he 
was  commonly  called.     Ouash  Williams  was  a 


HISTORIC  GROION 


slave  in  early  life  and  never  learned  to  read, 
but  he  was  mighty  in  the  Scriptures  and  knew 
them  jjetter  than  man_\-  whci  teach  them  as 
their  sacred  calling.  He  could  say  with  David, 
"Thy  w'ord  have  I  hid  in  my  heart."  His  gift 
of  exhortation  was  wonderful.  His  appeals 
were  full  of  the  lively  imagery  and  fervid  emo- 
tion peculiar  to  his  race  combined  with  such 
feeling  and  sensible  application  of  divine  truth, 
and  expressed  in  voice  and  manner  so  effec- 
tive that  his  audience  could  rarely  refrain  from 
tears.  His  counsels  were  a  \alual)le  help  ti_) 
man}',  and  in  after  years  the  memory  of  his 
services  prompted  the  erection  of  a  monu- 
ment at  his  grave. 


%/^^ 


I'KKSKNT  HAPTIST  CHniCll 

The  first  .Sunday  school  connected  with  the 
church  was  organized  in  1827.  Though  not 
having  means  of  conducting  that  work  in  the 
manner  of  the  present  day,  it  had  in  view  the 
fundamental  object  of  gaining  and  imparting 
a  knowledge  of  the  Holy  Scriptures,  in  wliich 
it  was  eminently  successful. 

Mr.  \Mghtman  died  in  1841,  having  served 
the  church  as  pastor  forty-(.)ne  }'ears.  With  his 
death  closed  a  remarkable  series  of  pastorates 
by  father,  son,  and  grandson,  covering  a  pe- 
riod of  one  hundred  and  twenty-six  years.  It 
is  impossible  to  justly  review  the  history  of 
this  church    without   carefullv  considering  the 


lives  of  these  men  and  their  influence  upon 
the  peo]3le  of  their  day.  To  them,  with  their 
unfeigned  love  of  the  truth,  their  piety,  their 
sturdy  maintenance  of  Baptist  principles  in 
face  of  all  opposition,  and  to  their  wise  and 
diligent  leadership  is  due  the  ini])ressions 
which  made  all  this  wide  section  of  country 
liecome  special  Baptist  ground.  That  such  is 
the  fact,  the  five  flourishing  Baptist  churches 
in  the  town  of  Groton,  and  five  more  in  the  ad- 
joining towns  of  Stonington  and  Xorth  Ston- 
ington  are  continual   witnesses. 

.\fter  the  death  of  John  ( i;uio  Wightmau. 
Air.  B.  Y.  Hedden,  a  member  of  the  Fort  Hill 
church,  was  called  to  the  pastorate,  and  was 
(irdained  in  April,  1842.  IJuring  his  short  stay 
of  about  one  year  the  church  seems  to  have 
been  vmusually  active,  and  a  change  of  the  lo- 
cation of  the  meeting  house  was  advocated. 

On  the  twenty-second  of  February,  1843,  a 
\ote  was  passed  to  remove  to  Mystic,  as  Old 
Mystic  was  then  called,  whenever  a  suitable 
liouse  of  worship  should  be  erected  at  that 
place.  In  the  same  month  a  branch  church 
\vliich  had  been  maintained  for  a  time  at  Led- 
yard  was  constituted  an  independent  church. 
Also  on  the  sixteenth  of  March  a  delegation 
from  this  church  assisted  in  a  council  at  Gro- 
ton Heights  in  establishing  the  present  Groton 
Ileights  church.  In  A])ril,  1842,  Stephen 
Peckham,  Avery  Gallup  and  Uaniel  Chipman 
were  ordained  deacons. 

Mr.  Hedden  was  succeeded  in  1843  '^y  Re^'- 
L'harles  C.  Lewis  who  remained  with  the 
church  less  than  one  year.  In  the  meantime 
the  site  for  a  new  house  ol  worship  was  se- 
cured, located  still  within  the  town  of  Groton, 
where  the  present  house  stands,  and  a  new 
church  was  built,  which  was  dedicated  Feb- 
ruary 22,  1844. 

The  old  house  in  Groton  remained  standing 
for  a  time  and  some  were  unwilling  to  give  it 
up  as  a  place  of  worship,  and  meetings  were 
fiequently  held  within  its  hallowed  walls.  Like 
its  predecessor  it  made  no  outward  pretension 
to  architectural  beauty,  but  was  a  square,  barn- 
like structure  without  spire  or  steeple  or  even 
■A  chimney.  The  pipe  from  its  one  stove  after 
crossing  the  room  horizontallv  found  its  way 


HISTORIC  GKOTON 


99 


nut  tlirnugh  a  window,  where  a  pane  of  glass 
iince  had  l)een.  It  had  the  square  family  pews 
III"  those  times,  each  one  completely  walled  in 
li\'  a  high  hoard  partition  in  which  the  older 
occupants  sat  where  they  could  see  the  preach- 
er, but  the  children  were  placed  with  backs  to- 
\\ard  the  pulpit,  and  their  \-ie\v  was  mostly 
confined  to  the  inside  walls  of  their  prison,  re- 
lieved only  by  the  stern  countenances  of  their 
elders.  \  ivid  recollections  now  come  of  ser- 
\  ices  in  that  house  when  the  sound  of  the 
preaching  seemed  something  wonderful ;  and 
when  the  hymn  was  sung  by  singers  in  the  gal- 
lery, wholly  out  of  sight  from  the  children's 
place  in  the  cavernous  pew,  after  vainly  trying 
to  tind  where  that  sound  came  from,  the  ine\'- 
iiable  conclusion  was  reached  that  it  came 
from  heaven.  Sometimes  during  service  a 
bright-eyed  scjuirrel  would  come  a  little  way 
out  from  his  hiding  place  and  all  unmoved  by 
h.is  surroundings,  listen  for  a  short  time  to  the 
]n-ofound  preaching,  then  with  a  scamper  re- 
tire to  his  own  haunts. 

The  interior  work  of  the  house  was  more 
highly  finished,  with  hand  wrought  panels  and 
mouldings,  and  the  front  of  the  lofty  pulpit 
with  much  carved  work,  on  all  of  wdiich  no 
paint  was  ever  used,  but  it  remained  in  the 
natural  color  and  finish  of  the  wood.  IJut  the 
most  striking  feature  of  that  room  was  its  huge 
I'ear-shaped  sounding  board,  hanging  by  a 
single  rod  of  iron  directly  over  the  minister  as 
he  stood  up  to  preach.  A  childish  fear  amount- 
ing almost  to  torture  was  continuously  present 
that  at  some  dreadful  moment  that  mights- 
thing  would  drop  and  utterly  extinguish  the 
]5oor  preacher.  Whether  the  sounding  board 
greatly  increased  the  volume  of  the  speaker's 
voice  is  a  matter  of  doubt,  but  in  this  case  it 
was  sure  e\-idence  of  the  regard  a  loving  peo- 
jile  had  for  a  fatherly  pastor,  for  in  building 
that  house  in  the  later  years  of  Timothy 
W'ightman's  pastorate,  when  his  speech  had 
lost  some  of  the  strength  and  \igor  of  vouth, 
this  device  was  added  to  increase  the  sound, 
that  all  might  be  able  to  hear  his  voice.  Xo 
thought  entered  their  true  hearts  of  exchang- 
ing   his    counsels    for    those    of   another,    even 


though  the  marks  of  time  and  weight  of  years 
were  apparent  in  waning  strength  and  voice. 
Little  wonder  that  those  who  had  been  wor- 
shi])pcrs  in  that  house  were  unwilling  to  give 
it  up.  for  they  had  memories  that  stirred  their 
hearts,  and  had  an  abiding  affection  for  that 
house  in  its  lieautiful  retired  place  by  the  fra- 
grant forest,  and  for  the  quiet  church  yard 
where  their  loved  and  lost  were  laid  to  their 
king  rest.     There  often  indeed 

"The  sounding  aisles  of  the  dim  woods  rang 
To  the  anthem   of  the  free." 

Rev.  Cyrus  Miner  was  the  first  pastor  to  oc- 
cupy the  new  house,  beginning  his  services  in 
April  following  the  dedication,  lie  remained 
only  one  year  and  was  succeeded  by  William 
L'.  Walker,  who  was  called  by  this  church  to 
liis  first  pastorate  in  April,  1845.  Though 
}oung,  his  loving  disposition,  genuine  good 
will,  and  zeal  for  his  Alaster  soon  won  to  him 
the  hearts  of  his  people.  He  was  ordained  in 
June  at  the  session  of  the  Stonington  Union 
.Association,  which  was  held  with  the  church 
that  year. 

During  his  pastorate  of  fi\-e  years,  the  first 
additions  were  made  to  the  church  on  its  new 
grountl.  The  Sunday  school  received  special 
attention  from  him,  and  from  that  time  was 
made  more  attractive  and  important  as  a  part 
of  church  work.  Ill-health,  which  prevented 
continued  elTort  in  public  speaking,  led  to  his 
resignation.  The  minister's  support  in  those 
days  does  not  now  seem  to  have  been  a  gilded 
attraction,  as  the  records  show  the  amount  to 
have  been  but  three  hundred  dollars  per  an- 
num, and  even  this  sum  was  with  difficulty 
raised  and  not  always  promptly  paid. 

Rev.  James  Squier  was  the  ne.xt  pastor  for 
about  one  year.  During  his  stay  an  increase 
of  interest  was  manifest  and  extra  meetings 
were  held.  Among  others  who  assisted  in  the 
services  was  Rev,  Erastus  Miner  whose 
preaching  greatly  interested  many,  and  who 
was  eventually  called  to  lie  the  next  pastor. 
The  church  gained  in  numbers  during  the  ear- 
lier part  of  his  ministry,  but  later  there  was 
dissatisfaction  and  it  grew  so  great  that  the 
church    was    divided    and    separate    meetings 


HISTORIC  GROTON 


were  held.  This  state  of  things  continued  for 
a  time  after  Mr.  Miner  had  severed  his  con- 
nection with  the  church. 

Rev.  John  E.  Wood  was  next  called  and 
came  to  his  duties  with  a  plan  for  laying  aside 
all  diflferences  and  reuniting  the  church  on 
common  ground,  wdiich  under  his  discreet 
leadership  as  pastor  was  happily  effected.  His 
active  career  and  efforts  awakened  renewed 
interest  in  all  church  work.  The  Sunday 
school  was  reinvigorated  and  by  his  planning, 
the  Simdav  School   Convention  to  the  Stoning- 


BAPTIST  PARSONAGE,  OLnEST  IN  A-MEKU  A 

ton  Union  Association  was  established,  and 
the  first  meeting  was  held  with  this  church  in 
1858.  He  resigned  in  Xoveniljer,  i860,  and 
was  followed  by  Rev.  Edgar  A.  Hewitt,  who 
continued  with  the  church  three  years.  By  a 
bequest  of  Mrs.  Sally  Gallup  the  church  re- 
ceived a  fund  of  about  fourteen  hundred  dol- 
lars. 

Soon  after  the  resignation  of  Mr.  Hewitt, 
Rev,  Palmer  G.  Wightman,  grandson  of  Rev. 
John  Gano  Wightman,  accepted  a  call  to  the 
pastorate  and  commenced  his  labors  upon  the 
field  of  his  fathers  in  June,  1864.  He  was  well 
fitted  for  the  position,  and  began  his  pastoral 
work  with  unwavering  faith,  active  zeal  and 
untiring  effort.  The  church  responded  to  the 
s])irit  and  earnestness  manifested  by  him,  and 
there  began  a  harvest  of  accessions  to  the 
cliurch.  During  the  winter  of  1865  and  1866, 
meetings  were  continued  nearly  every  even- 
ing for  more  than  three  months,  and  within 
that  time  eighty-eight  were  baptised.     In  the 


extra  work  of  that  winter  Mr.  Wightman  was 
c'reatlv  assisted  h\  Elder  labez  Swan  of  evan- 
gelistic  renown,  the  two  working  in  pertect 
accord  with  each  other  and  with  the  church. 
Though  no  other  revival  of  like  power  was 
experienced,  many  more  were  afterward  add- 
ed to  the  church.  During  the  twelve  years  of 
his  pastorate  two  hundred  and  twenty-four 
new  members  were  received,  and  the  mem- 
bership of  the  church  reached  the  highest 
point  in  its  history,  having  been  two  hundred 
and  ninety-six  in  1875. 

^^'ith  increased  membership  and  larger  con- 
gregations the  house  of  worship  was  found  too 
small  for  the  needs  of  the  church,  and  it  was 
at  length  decided  to  build  a  new  house,  which 
was  erected  on  the  site  of  the  old  one  and  ded- 
icated in  October,  1867.  The  Sunday  school 
was  at  this  period  under  the  superintendence 
i.;f  Amos  F).  Taylor  and  continued  to  be  for 
nearly  twenty  years,  and  was  larger  than  at 
any  time  since  its  formation,  numbering  over 
two  hundred  scholars.  \\\  the  bequest  of  Zer- 
viah  \Mghtman,  daughter  of  Rev.  John  Gano 
\\ightman,  the  church  came  into  possession  of 
its  present  parsonage  and  a  considerable  sum 
(;f  money  as  a  fund  for  the  support  of  gospel 
]ireaching.  In  1867,  Thomas  H.  \'incent  was 
appointed  deacon,  and  in  1872,  Allan  Steven- 
son, Xeheniiah  M.  Galluji  and  Pjenjamin  B. 
Hewitt  were  also  appointed  to  that  oiScc.  Mr. 
Wightman  resigned  his  pastorate  in  1876,  hav- 
ing been  greatly  instrumental  in  Iniilding  up 
the  church  in  numbers,  influence  and  efficien- 
cy. 

Re\'.  Eli  Dewhurst  succeeded  to  the  pastor- 
ate the  same  year  in  wdiich  Mr.  Wightman  re- 
signed, and  continued  with  the  church  five 
years.  During  that  time  an  effort  was  made 
t!P  clear  the  church  of  infleljtedness  upon  its 
iiouse  of  worship,  and  by  the  sacrifices  of  many 
who  contributed  large  sums  for  that  purpose 
the  w  hi  lie  amount  was  raised  and  paid.  ]\Ir. 
Dewhurst  was  followed  by  Mr,  John  Richard- 
son who  was  ordained  by  the  church,  and  re- 
mained a  little  more  than  a  year.  During  his 
pastoral  term  a  number  were  received  into 
the  church.  Re\".  Homer  A,  King  became  pas- 
tor in  July,  1883,  remaining  also  a  little  more 


HISTORIC   GROTON 


than  a  year,  and  was  in  turn  followed,  Jan- 
uary, 1885,  1)\-  Kev.  A.  j.  Wilcox  who  remained 
only  a  few  months. 

In  September  of  the  latter  year  Rev.  A.  J. 
Chandler  was  called  to  the  pastorate.  With 
h.im  an  important  re\'ival  season  was  experi- 
enced, in  which  additions  were  made  to  the 
church,  and  it  was  greatly  quickened  in  spirit- 
ual thought  and  life.  In  1894  some  changes 
were  made  in  the  interior  of  the  house  of  wor- 
shi]3,  rendering  the  whole  much  better  adapted 
to  all  the  needs  of  church  work.  Three  dea- 
cons were  chosen  in  1887.  .Simeon  (Gallup,  Wil- 
liam II.  Lamphere,  and  Amos  D.  Turner.  Mr. 
Chandler  resigned  in  1895,  closing  ten  years  of 
pastoral  labor,  and  was  succeeded  in  Xovem- 
ber  of  that  year  by  Rev.  Dryden  W.  Phelps, 
who  continued  pastor  about  three  and  one-half 
}"ears. 

A  legacy  of  one  thousand  dollars,  the  gift 
of  Mrs.  Julia  .\.  Langworthy,  was  receixed  by 
the  church  in  1899.  In  December  of  that  }ear 
Rev.  Henr_\-  W.  Wilson  accepted  a  call  to  the 
church,  and  began  a  pastorate  full  of  encour- 
agement and  promise,  which,  howe\er,  was 
brought  to  a  sudden  close  by  his  untimely 
death  June  5tli,  1902.  About  forty  were  re- 
ceived into  the  church  during  his  labors. 

•Mr.  ^^  ilson  was  fnljowed  by  Rev.  Herbert 
B.  Hutchins.  \yho  began  his  pastoral  work  in 
November  of  the  same  year. 

In  June,  1904.  the  Stonington  Union  Asso- 
ciation held  its  one  hundred  and  thirty-second 
anniversary  with  the  church.  At  that  session 
the  associaticin  presented  the  church  a  bronze 
memorial    tablet    "commemorating   the   found- 


ing of  this,  the  first  Baptist  church  of  Connec- 
ticut in  1705,  and  the  maintenance  by  it  of 
the  standard  of  Religious  Li1>erty.  and  the  self- 
sacrificing  devotion  of  \'alentine  W'ightman. 
its  founder.  Timothy  W'ightman,  his  son,  and 
John  Cano  W'ightman,  his  grandson,  succes- 
sively its  ministers  for  one  hundred  and  twenty- 
six  years." 

The  year  1905  closed  the  second  century  of 
the  existence  of  the  church.  In  August  of  that 
year  exercises  were  held  commemorating  that 
e\ent.  beginning  on  Sunday,  .August  6th,  and 
continuing  until  Aug.  (;th.  At  the  public  ser- 
\  ices  held  each  day,  addresses  were  delivered 
b}"  prominent  speakers  from  abroad  in  con- 
nection with  (ither  appropriate  exercises.  .Af- 
ter the  address  on  \\  ednesday,  Aug.  9th,  the 
bi-centennial  exercises  were  concluded  with  a 
bancpiet  and  sncial  reunion. 

.\t  the  close  of  the  second  century  of  church 
life  the  number  of  members  is  two  hundred 
and  two.  .Since  1754,  the  earliest  date  from 
x^hich  a  continuous  record  of  meml)ership  can 
now  be  traced,  to  the  present  time,  twelve  hun- 
dred and  eight\-se\  en  members  have  been  en- 
rolled. Twenty-eight  ministers  of  the  gospel 
have  gone  out  from  this  membership  to  their 
\vork  in  all  parts  of  the  land.  If  imbued  with 
the  spirit  of  the  Dixine  Master,  and  the  cinir- 
age  and  devotion  of  some  of  the  early  fathers 
whose  career  has  been  here  reviewed,  another 
centurx'  may  show  a  powerful  influence  for 
godd   from  their  labors  also. 

Mr.  Hutchins  closed  his  pastorate  in  March, 
1907.  and  was  succeeded  by  Rev.  J.  M.  01m- 
stead,  in  Xovemlicr  of  the  same  vear. 


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